Signs of Anorexia - vegetarianism?

The Dangerous Link Between Vegetarianism and Eating Disorders

In a surprising study conducted by Vegetarian Times, the link between eating disorders and vegetarianism is examined. The study acknowledges that although vegetarianism seems like a healthy approach to living, it can potentially be masking a real problem with food. The problem arises when people with eating disorders use vegetarianism as a way to hide their disordered habits without arousing suspicion.

The study does not suggest that all people who are vegetarian are likely to have eating disorders.

The article points out that many patients with eating disorders call themselves vegetarians as a way to rationalize their diets. The study further shows that more and more practitioners treating patients for eating disorders were connecting vegetarianism with disordered behavior.

Patients with eating disorders also realize early on that vegetarianism may allow a more restricted diet free from foods that a person with anorexia or bulimia might describe as ‘forbidden’ or bad foods.

While the article notes that there haven’t been any major studies that have explained the connection between vegetarianism and eating disorders, it does acknowledge that a link exists between the two, primarily because vegetarian diets are low in calories and fat. By nature a vegetarian diet eliminates many high fat and high calorie items from the diet.

Implications
While this study does not suggest that all vegetarians have an eating disorder, it does alert parents and healthcare providers to the possible link between the two. It is important to note that there are literally millions of people that are vegetarians that lead a normal and healthy lifestyle.

It is important to note that eating disorders are much more complex that a simple diet strategy. This article may help parents however be on the look out and alert for bizarre or unusual symptoms that might reveal that their child has an eating disorder rather than a new diet.

The study also provides a new potential sign and symptom of disordered behavior that parents and family members can be on the lookout for.

Tips
Parents or other family members who notice that their loved one has adopted a vegetarian lifestyle can be on the lookout for certain signs that the vegetarian diet has turned into or is hiding an eating problem. Some questions that a parent or family member might ask as pointed out by the article on vegetarianism include:

1) What is the person’s motivation for being vegetarian?
2) When did the person become a vegetarian?
3) What foods will or won’t the person eat?

Other things a loved one might look for are signs of an eating disorder which may include compulsive exercise, frequent binges or trips to the bathroom after eating or increasingly anti-social behavior.

If you know someone that is using vegetarianism to mask an eating disorder, you can step in and help them recover. The sooner someone with an eating disorder is recognized and starts receiving help, the more likely they are to recover from their condition.