Picky Eater – or Eating Disordered?

This can be tricky to establish, given the range of ‘normal’ eating patterns and obsession with health and slimness. While someone with anorexia nervosa will be at least 15% underweight (through restrictive eating and/or bingeing and purging or excessive exercise), a bulimic will be normal weight or overweight, or at least less than 15% underweight (through bingeing and purging), and an orthorexic (someone overly preoccupied with fat avoidance and exercise) will have a combination of mild symptoms that can go undetected.

(Orthorexia is not yet a psychiatrically accepted diagnosis.) But as a rule of thumb, you are crossing the line to an eating disorder when you move from regular exercise and cutting back on portion sizes and high-fat or processed foods to cutting out whole food groups, skipping meals, bingeing or purging, or exercising fanatically.

The Dangers

If you restrict your diet for any period you risk micronutrient deficiencies, which can develop into anaemia, high or low blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, osteoporosis, abnormal thyroid function, infertility and even cancer. Anorexia also has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Suicide is one of the main causes of death for long-term sufferers.

The Warning Signs

You constantly think about food, cooking or weight, and obsess about kilojoules and fat content. You start picking at food, skipping meals, feeling guilty about eating certain things, cutting out food groups, developing rituals around food, avoiding eating in public and obsessing about exercise.

You already have a problem if you experience moodiness, irritability, depression, self-disgust (after bingeing or purging), dry hair and skin, loss of scalp hair, brittle nails, puffiness (from water retention) or digestive problems.

What to Do

Get a more realistic appraisal of your weight from a trusted friend or impartial colleague. Read up on the basics of good health and find a balanced, sustainable eating plan. It’s best to book a session with a dietitian, who can personalize one to your tastes and lifestyle. If you have a perfectionist or obsessive-compulsive personality you may need counseling – don’t let embarrassment or denial hold you back. Behind every eating disorder lies an emotional wounding bringing anger, guilt, shame, fear and emptiness, which you are evading through the guise of control and order. Counseling can help you identify it and work past it.

It Worked for Me

‘I just wanted to lose a bit of my bum fat,’ says Rochelle, 23, a fashion assistant. ‘I joined a gym and went every day, cut out fats and all junk food and red meat, and I dropped a jeans size. People said I looked great, and I felt wonderful. But then I got a bit carried away and started feeling tired. One day I fainted at work. When my manager heard I was living mostly on green salads and egg whites, she booked me an appointment with a dietitian. Now I’m on a moderate plan, gym three times a week, and I’m still in shape – but I’ve got energy too.’