Understanding eating problems

If you have a difficult relationship with food, you’re not alone. We’re here to help. 

We explain what eating problems are. There’s information about signs and symptoms, as well as causes of eating disorders and eating problems. And you can find out how to get support.

Looking back on it, I can see that I had disordered thoughts about my body and food from a very young age.

What is an eating problem?

An eating problem is any relationship with food that you find difficult. For example, you might miss meals, or eat when you’re feeling stressed. Or you might fear certain foods.

But eating problems and disorders aren't just about food. They can be about painful feelings that you may find hard to express, face or resolve. Focusing on food can be a way of coping with these difficult these feelings and problems.

Many people think that someone with an eating problem will be overweight or underweight. People might also think that certain weights are linked to certain eating problems. Neither of these things are true.

Anyone can experience eating problems - whatever their age, gender, weight or background.

What's the difference between eating problems and eating disorders?

An eating problem is when eating or food cause you distress and make daily life harder. It's sometimes called disordered eating. Eating problems can be mild or severe, but they aren’t diagnosed as eating disorders.

An eating disorder is a medical diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on your eating patterns and includes medical tests on your weight, blood and body mass index (BMI).

There's more information on our page about types of eating disorder.

Even without a diagnosis, you can still get support for an eating problem.

James's experience with eating problems

James was a teenager when he developed an eating problem. Stereotyping around eating disorders meant it took time for people to realise what James was experiencing.

Watch James' story to learn about barriers to getting help. And how yoga helped him accept his body and find his community.

The stereotype that to struggle with disordered eating you have to be a certain weight is a huge misconception. That stopped me from getting help.

What are the signs and symptoms of an eating problem?

Food plays a significant part in our lives. Most of us will spend time thinking about what we eat. Sometimes we might:

• Have cravings
• Eat more than usual
• Lose our appetite
• Try to eat more healthily

Changing your eating habits like this every now and again is normal. But if you feel like food and eating is taking over your life, it may become a problem.

There are many ways that eating problems can affect the way you act and think about food. If you have an eating problem, you might recognise some of the behaviours listed below.

Warning: this list includes descriptions of behaviours to do with food. This can be upsetting or triggering. If you're feeling vulnerable at the moment, you might want to move on to the next section.

Watch: eating problems explained

Watch our animation to learn more about eating problems, including signs and symptoms, and where to get help. 

How might eating problems affect my life?

Eating problems can affect you in lots of ways.

You might feel:

• Depressed and anxious
• Tired a lot of the time
• Ashamed or guilty
• Scared of other people finding out.

You might find that:

• It's hard to concentrate on your work, studies or hobbies
• Controlling food or eating has become the most important thing in your life
• It's hard to be spontaneous, travel or go anywhere new
• Your appearance is changing or has changed
• You're bullied or teased about food and eating
• You develop short-term or long-term physical health problems
• You want to avoid socialising, dates, restaurants or eating in public
• You have to drop out of school or college, leave work or stop doing things you enjoy

With other people in your life, you might feel that:

• You're distant from those who don't know how you feel, or who are upset they can't do more to help
• They focus a lot on the effects eating problems can have on your body
• They only think you have a problem if your body looks different to how they think it should
• They sometimes comment on your appearance in ways you find difficult
• They don't really understand how complicated things are for you

I had to leave university, miss opportunities for volunteering and worst of all, I've missed creating so many memories with the people I love. 

How do I know if I have an eating problem?

As it may feel like part of your everyday life, you might be unsure if your issue with food and eating is a problem.

Some people don't seek help because they think their problem is not serious enough. Sometimes they do not feel ‘ill enough’ to have an eating problem.

There's also lots of harmful information in society about food and weight. This might make you feel like your eating problem is normal. Or that it’s necessary. This might impact you more if you have a larger body.

It's also possible to have problems with eating and keep them hidden. Sometimes this can be for very long time.

But if your relationship with food and eating is affecting your life, you can seek help. It doesn't matter how much you weigh or what your body looks like.

Read more about how to get support on our page on how to recover from an eating problem.

What are the causes of eating problems?

There's no single cause of eating problems and disorders. Most health professionals think they're caused by a combination of factors. Some may be biological. While others come from your surroundings or past.

It might be hard to understand why eating has become an issue for you. We explain some of the more common factors.

Personality traits and eating problems

People experiencing eating problems often share common personality traits. These may make you more vulnerable to developing an eating problem.

These can include:

• A desire for perfection
• Rarely being satisfied with what you've done
• Being very critical of yourself
• Being overly-competitive about things
• Having obsessive or compulsive behaviours (see our pages on obsessive-compulsive disorder)
• A lack of confidence in expressing yourself

My eating disorder is a product of self-hate and of letting my emotions fester without giving them attention. 

Difficult life experiences and eating problems

The start of your eating problem may be linked to a stressful event or trauma in your life.

Some examples are:

• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Serious family problems
• The death of someone close to you
• Pressures at school or work, such as exams or bullying

A manager decided to bully me which went on for months. I chose not eating as a coping mechanism.

Eating problems often develop at the same time as you're going through major life changes such as:

• Starting puberty
• Changing school or university
• Starting a new job
• Exploring your sexuality
• Leaving home or moving to a new place

I was doing A levels, thinking about going to uni and reinventing myself. My eating problem was a response to the difficult changes, and the questions of identity they raised.

Family issues and eating problems

Researchers aren't sure how much family issues lead to eating problems. Most agree that family is just one of many things that could affect how likely eating problems are.

You might have learned certain values about food from the people that raised you. Such as how much you should eat. Or what you should eat.

Some research suggests that eating problems may be more likely if your home didn't feel safe or stable when you were a child.

But research is conflicting around whether specific family issues cause eating problems. For example, coming from a very protective or inflexible family.

You may feel that your family was significant in your experience of eating problems. Or you may feel that other factors have been more important.

Social pressure and eating problems

Social and cultural pressures probably don't cause eating disorders on there own. But they can contribute to them and help to keep them going. And they're a big influence on eating problems in general.

We're surrounded by messages about body image in films, magazines, social media and adverts. This can give us unachievable ideas about how we should look.

You might not be aware of it, but you may be comparing yourself to unrealistic images. As a result, this type of social pressure might:

• Make you feel that you are not good enough
• Have a negative impact on your body image and self-esteem

I set myself a goal to eat healthier and lose weight with a school friend. I was at the age you start comparing yourself to others. 

Managing social media with eating problems

Images of ‘perfection’ can be hard to avoid if you use social media. But try not to compare yourself or anyone else to these image

Be aware that before posting photos online, people often use:

• Apps that let them alter parts of their face or body
• Filters that can make them appear to have flawless skin<
• Camera angles, lighting and photo editing tools to improve their appearance

Try to remember that people often edit the photos they post on social media to look different to reality.

If you’re finding social media difficult, taking yourself offline for a while might help. See our pages on online mental health for more information.

Biological and genetic factors and eating problems

Research shows that genes may impact your chance of developing an eating problem. For example, some research finds that you're more likely to have an eating disorder if a close family member does.

We all have brain chemicals that control hunger, appetite and digestion. And research shows that some people with eating problems seem to have different amounts of these. For example, some of us:

• Might have too much or too little serotonin – the brain chemical that can affect mood and appetite
• May be more sensitive to the hormones that control hunger and feeling full – making us more likely to overeat or binge

Trigger or 'at risk' times and eating problems 

There are some things that could help to prolong your eating problem – even if they didn't cause.

You might be coping with recovery at the moment. Or have had eating problems in the past. Try to be aware of certain things that can make your eating problems more likely to come back. Some people call these triggers or 'at risk' times.

For example, you may find talking about food and dieting with friends triggering. It might be helpful to learn what your triggers are, so that you can try your best to avoid them.

Eating problems and other health problems

Many people with eating problems also have other mental or physical health problems. Or they may be neurodivergent.

One might start first and lead to another mental or physical health problem other. Or they might both develop at the same time.

If you have a physical health problem, this can sometimes make you feel powerless. You may use eating or exercising as a way to feel more in control.

An eating problem might cause mental health problems, including some of those listed here. Or an eating problem might begin because you experience a mental health problem.

Some common experiences alongside eating problems include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Phobias of certain foods
• Issues with self-esteem and body image
• Forms of self-harm – you may see your eating problem as a form of self-harm, or may hurt yourself in other ways too
• body dysmorphic disorder, which is an anxiety disorder linked to body image

My eating disorder has always gone hand in hand with depression and anxiety. In such a way that they haven't felt like distinct illnesses, but like one issue.

How can I get help for an eating problem?

There are lots of ways to get support and help yourself cope with eating problems. And treatments options that can help you get better.

To learn more see our page on how to recover from an eating problem.