Is your eating a problem?

People with eating problems worry about their weight, shape and food, to the point where it really affects their life. Here are some of the common experiences described by people who struggle with eating problems. Do you recognise any of them?

How your body might feel 

• Tired/exhausted
• Restless
• Lacking in energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hungry or difficulty recognising signs of being hungry

Thoughts you might have 

• “I know I’m a normal weight, but if I could just lose another half a stone, I’d be happy.”
• “I can’t stop thinking about food. I even dream about it.”
• “I’m so ashamed. I’m an ugly fat pig but food is the only thing that makes me feel better.”
• “I don’t want to start eating because I won’t be able to stop.”

Feelings you might have 

• Fear of gaining weight
• Feeling low in confidence
• Feeling depressed, guilty, or disgusted with yourself after eating
• A tendency to feeling low in mood, or anxious
• Finding it difficult to cope with stress
• Finding it hard to express feelings

Things you might do 

• Negatively compare your appearance to other people
• Deliberately go for long periods of time without eating anything at all (4+hours)
• Not eat regular meals (usually 3 meals a day)
• Eat when you’re not hungry
• Over-eat or under-eat
• Eat until you feel uncomfortably full, with a sense of loss of control
• Eat in secret
• Purge, making yourself sick, using laxative or exercising excessively

If any of these sound familiar, you can find out more about eating problems in the ‘Learn’ section. You’ll also find some helpful tips and advice on managing your eating in the ‘Manage’ section.

With support from the people in your life and maybe with a little help from other sources, such as the resources on this website, you’ll most likely find ways to cope with your eating problems.  However, working through eating problems takes time. If you have concerns about your mental health more generally and think you may need further support, please get in touch with your GP in the first instance.

Here are some other sources of support you might want to consider: 

• If you don’t feel able to work through the resources recommended on this website, you might want to ask your GP for a referral to your local eating disorder service. You can learn more about the NHS Lothian eating disorders service for adults here:  https://services.nhslothian.scot/eatingdisordersservicesforadults/Pages/default.aspx
• It might also be helpful to have a look at some of the other pages on this website, including the sections on:
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Managing your weight
  • Trauma

• Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT) is a highly effective treatment for people with mild-to-moderate mental health difficulties. There are several online user-friendly programmes that NHS Lothian can provide access to. To find out more, speak with your GP, or visit the cCBT section on this website.
• Support from the eating disorder charity, Beat, may also be helpful to you: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
• The relationship people have with food can be complicated. Everyone’s personal circumstances are different, and whilst focusing on a healthier lifestyle might be easy for some people, there are some situations where people may need more support first. If you’re finding that significant stressors, such as the care needs of loved ones, financial pressures, or your mental health are affecting your eating habits and lifestyle, you may wish to contact your GP, local social care service, or Citizens Advice Bureau: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

The Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership websites are also a good place to look for locally available support:

• The ‘iThrive’ website focuses on support available Edinburgh-wide. You can search for local support to meet your needs by clicking here.
• ‘Midspace’ is Midlothian’s online source of mental health and wellbeing information. You can search for local support to meet your needs by clicking here.
• ‘Eastspace’ is East Lothian’s online source of mental health and wellbeing information. You can search for local support to meet your needs by clicking here.
• ‘Westspace’ is West Lothian’s online source of mental health and wellbeing information. You can search for local support to meet your needs by clicking here.