Eating disorder history and symptoms

Eating disorders are particularly common in young females and change in weight is the main concern often expressed by the patient or a family member. Apart from a detailed history, few questions that a physician should ask include:

• Do you think you are too thin? or too fat?
• What did you eat yesterday?
• Do you ever binge eat?
• Do you use any pills for losing weight?
• Do you ever eat in secret?
• Are you satisfied with your eating habits?
• Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?

Ask about:

• abdominal discomfort
• bloating or constipation
• cold intolerance
• menstrual irregularities
• daytime hyperactivity
• insomnia
• exercise habits
• use of alcohol or drugs
• personal history of sexual assault or childhood abuse
• family history of [[depression, alcohol use.

Look for physical signs such as:

• AN patients look emaciated and bulimics look healthy
• erosion of teeth enamel
• hypertrophy of knuckles-Russell's sign
• hypotension
• bradycardia
• irregular rhythm
• peripheral edema
• yellow skin
• lanugo hair
• Reversible mitral valve prolapse in AN patients that occurs due to size disproportion between left ventricle and mitral valve.