Diagnosing eating disorders can be complex, and there are a lot of different things that can cause disordered eating. If you think that you might have an eating disorder, the best place to start is by understanding your relationship with food.<\/p>\n
Here are a few of the top signs that your relationship with food may be unhealthy, and that you may wish to speak to your primary care physician about eating disorders, and potential next steps for getting the help you need.<\/p>\n
As long as you have enough food to eat while you\u2019re hungry, food shouldn\u2019t be occupying your thoughts all the time. If you are constantly thinking about food, even right after you eat, this may be a sign of a larger issue.<\/p>\n
Ideally, you should eat until you feel full, and then stop. If you find that you continue to eat more at mealtimes or for snacks, and binge until you feel very full or uncomfortable, this is abnormal, and could contribute to lots of other health issues.<\/p>\n
Even if you eat \u201chealthy\u201d foods, you may feel guilty or ashamed about what you ate, how much you ate, and other things related to your eating habits, particularly if you eat something you weren\u2019t intending to eat. You should feel neutral-to-positive after you eat a meal, particularly if you eat balanced and healthy food.<\/p>\n
If ordering and eating food in public makes you feel self-conscious and you always prefer to eat alone, this could be a sign that you have an unhealthy relationship with food, especially if you avoid eating around others because of feelings of shame or embarrassment about your eating habits or preferred foods.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re always trying different diets but nothing seems to \u201cwork,\u201d this may indicate an unhealthy attitude toward food, weight loss, and your overall health. People who often try different diets also sometimes frequently go between a very strict, new diet, then give up and return to eating without any kind of diet plan.<\/p>\n
For example, if you have lactose intolerance but you still find yourself eating a pint of ice cream even though you know it will make your stomach hurt and cause you indigestion, this is a sign of an unhealthy relationship with food and eating. You shouldn\u2019t be intentionally putting yourself into distress.<\/p>\n
Maybe you feel self-conscious because you think you\u2019re not eating enough, or your portion sizes are larger than those around you. Either way, you shouldn\u2019t feel bad about how much you eat as long as you\u2019re eating a healthy and balanced diet.<\/p>\n
There are many different reasons why your required portions may differ from those of others. People who are taller, for example, require more calories to maintain their bodies than smaller people, and men need to eat more food than women.<\/p>\n
You settle in to watch some Netflix, and two hours later, you\u2019ve eaten two full-sized bags of potato chips. If you tend to eat a lot of food and snacks without even realizing you\u2019re doing it, this may indicate disordered eating habits.<\/p>\n
If you have difficulty engaging or even listening to other people talk about food, dieting, exercise, and other such topics, you may have an unhealthy relationship with food and your body. While these topics don\u2019t have to be your favorite things to discuss, they should not cause you serious stress and anxiety when others talk about them around you.<\/p>\n
If you have lots of anxiety about trying any kind of new food and prefer to stick to just a few different meals and foods, this may be a sign of an eating disorder, anxiety, or some other mental health issues.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve discussed your relationship with food with your primary care physician and they recommend therapy and counseling, Dr. Quintal & Associates Counseling Center is here for you.<\/p>\n
At our office, we specialize in talk therapy for a wide variety of mental health issues, including eating disorders, and also offer services such as hypnosis for weight loss. Contact us online for a free therapy consultation, and get the help you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Recognizing The Top Signs You May Have An Unhealthy Relationship With Food Diagnosing eating disorders can be complex, and there are a lot of different things that can cause disordered eating. If you think that you might have an eating disorder, the best place to start is by understanding your relationship with food. Here are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n