10 Warning Signs Your Teen May Be Struggling With an Eating Disorder

​By: Megan Samuels, MSW, LCSW-C, Eating Disorder and Trauma Therapist

At The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland — proudly serving teens in Potomac, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Olney, and virtually across Maryland and Virginia — we specialize in helping adolescents recover from eating disorders. Our team of expert therapists offers outpatient treatment tailored to teens dealing with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, OSFED, compulsive exercise, and body image issues.


When Food and Body Image Become a Concern

As a parent, it’s deeply concerning to watch your teen struggle with food, weight, or how they see their body. You might be unsure whether what you're noticing is "normal teenage behavior" or something more serious. But when it comes to eating disorders, early intervention can make all the difference.

The sooner your teen is evaluated by an eating disorder professional, the better the chances for a full recovery.

Here are some common red flags to watch for. If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to schedule an evaluation with a licensed eating disorder therapist.


1. Your Teen Has Started Eating Noticeably Less

Are they skipping meals or pushing food around on their plate? A sudden drop in appetite or a noticeable reduction in food intake can be a warning sign — even if they say they're "just not hungry." Restricting food can indicate the beginning stages of disordered eating and should not be ignored.


2. They’re Avoiding Whole Food Groups

Has your teen cut out carbs, fats, or any other major food group without a medical reason? Or are they eating only a limited selection of "safe" foods? This kind of restrictive eating pattern may point to an eating disorder, even if it's framed as “trying to be healthy.”


3. Long Bathroom Breaks After Meals

Do they frequently head to the bathroom right after eating and stay there for a long time? This could be a red flag for purging behavior, which sometimes includes self-induced vomiting. If this becomes a pattern, it's important to seek help immediately.


4. Eating in Secret or Hiding Food

Have you found food wrappers hidden in their backpack, bedroom, or car? Secretive eating is often driven by feelings of shame and may indicate binge eating or restrictive patterns followed by secret overeating.


5. Negative Comments About Their Body

Is your teen frequently criticizing how they look or expressing a desire to lose weight? Do they fixate on specific body parts or compare themselves to their peers or to others online? Negative body image often goes hand-in-hand with disordered eating and can deeply impact a teen’s self-esteem.


6. Missing or Misusing Laxatives

If laxatives are disappearing from your medicine cabinet, or you’ve noticed your teen using them without medical guidance, this could be a sign of an attempt to control weight. Laxative misuse is a serious concern and requires professional intervention.


7. Excessive or Compulsive Exercise

If your teen seems obsessed with working out, exercises even when injured or sick, or becomes anxious about missing a workout, it could be problematic. Compulsive exercise is often a form of disordered behavior that can be tied to body image concerns.


8. Calorie Counting or "Clean Eating" Obsession

Is your teen constantly tracking calories or only eating foods they label as “clean” or “healthy”? When goals around eating “healthy” are taken to extremes it can become a form of orthorexia or restrictive eating. Balance is key, and obsession around food choices may signal a deeper issue.


9. Dining Out Has Become a Source of Anxiety

If going to a restaurant causes visible stress, or if your teen fixates on calories listed on the menu rather than choosing something they’d enjoy, this could indicate disordered thinking around food. Eating out should be a social and enjoyable experience — not a source of panic.


10. Changes in Mood and School Performance

Have you noticed your teen becoming more irritable, withdrawn, or anxious lately? Are their grades slipping, or are they losing interest in school or activities they once enjoyed?

Disordered eating often goes hand-in-hand with mental health struggles like anxiety or depression. When a teen is preoccupied with food, body image, or rigid eating routines, it can sap their energy and attention—leaving little room for schoolwork, extracurriculars, or friendships. These shifts in mood and academic performance can be subtle but meaningful warning signs.


The Takeaway: You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

If you’ve noticed one or more of these signs, trust your instincts. Your teen may be struggling with more than just food preferences or body insecurities — and getting support early can prevent the development of a more serious eating disorder.
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At The Eating Disorder Center, we’re here to help your teen develop a healthier relationship with food, movement, and their body. Our therapists and recovery coaches are trained to provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to the unique needs of adolescents.


Ready to Get Help for Your Teen?

Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation and take the first step toward healing.  

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Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore how eating disorder therapy or recovery coaching can help you to find freedom.​
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🌟 Available in MD, VA, DC, PA, FL, and CA for eating disorder therapy
🌍 Offering recovery coaching worldwide

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The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping children, teens, and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington, D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland and Virginia. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com 
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*Disclaimer: The information is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for your independent medical decision-making nor a recommendation or endorsement for any particular treatment plan, organization, provider, professional service, or product. The information may change without notice. No claims, promises, or guarantees are made about the completeness, accuracy, currency, content or quality of information linked. You assume all responsibility and risk for any use of the information.