1. …But what’s the difference between a diet and an eating disorder?
Dieting is very common amongst teenagers…
…But what’s the difference between a diet and an eating disorder?

2. SIGNS Highly restrictive diet
No slips
Cuts out food groups
Other weight control methods used
Panics at the thought of eating out
Diet success used as a measure of self-success

3. Highly Restrictive Diet
One of the key differences between a regular diet and an eating disorder is one of scale.  Generally speaking, a young person with an eating disorder will restrict their calorie intake to only a few hundred calories per day.  Allowing themselves to eat maybe less than half the number of calories they are likely to expend in a day.

4. Look out for… Very small portion sizes Skipping meals altogether
Throwing food away
Always choosing low fat / diet versions
Avoiding high calorie foods like sweets or puddings

5. No Slips
Eating disorders sufferers tend to be very black and white in their thinking and go with an all or nothing approach.  They will very rarely deviate from their prescribed diet, and if they do, they are likely to punish themselves by eating even less for the rest of the day, or doing heavy exercise or similar.

6. Look out for Very specific dietary rules
Rigidly sticking to their rules
Not deviating even for e.g. birthday cake
Disproportionately upset if their diet slips

7. Cuts out food groups
People with eating disorders feel very comfortable with rules and are often much happier to create a very strict rule e.g. ‘No Wheat’ and stick to it carefully rather than attempting to find compromises and alternatives to foods they perceive as dangerous.

8. Adopting vegetarian or vegan diet
Look out for
Adopting vegetarian or vegan diet
Cutting out food due to intolerance
e.g. dairy, wheat, gluten
Other rules such as ‘no puddings’

9. Other weight control methods
In addition to controlling their food intake, other weight control methods might be used such as heavy exercise or laxative use.

10. Look out for Exercising for several hours a day
Constantly finding ways to burn calories,
may dislike sitting still
Use of laxatives of diuretics
Self-induced vomiting

11. Panics about eating out
A young person with an eating disorder would find the idea of eating out with friends terrifying.  The thought of having to consume more calories than they’ve budgeted for or having to eat a meal where they’re not completely in control and may not know the exact ingredients and/or calorie content is likely to induce feelings of panic

12. Avoids eating in unfamiliar places
Look out for
Avoids eating in unfamiliar places
Becomes generally more unsociable
Sticks to similar familiar foods

13. Success measured by diet
Weight gain will be taken very badly and even a small gain will make the young person feel like a failure as will failing to stick to their diet rules. They will often also assume that everyone else is also judging them according to their weight and dieting.

14. Look out for Obsessing over insignificant weight gain
Judging themselves according to their weight
Getting very angry over diet deviations
Describing themselves negatively using ‘fat talk’

15. Need more support?
Dr Pooky Knightsmith specialises in mental health and emotional well-being in the school setting. She can provide training sessions or workshops for school staff, parents or students on a variety of topics, including self-harm and eating disorders.
For further information and free resources visit