Professionals supporting teenagers, young adults, parents and clients with worries about food, weight, body image or diabetes may find this eating problems infographic a useful conversation starter. It names four less widely recognised patterns, orthorexia, diabulimia, pregorexia and muscle dysmorphia with disordered eating, and gives clear signs to notice without turning the topic into a diagnosis checklist. It is particularly relevant for school pastoral teams, counsellors, social workers, health visitors and family support staff.
Lesser-known eating problems are presented in a simple awareness format that is easy to scan during a session or share with a young person or family. The page explains that some of these difficulties are not separate eating disorder diagnoses, but can still be serious and deserve support.
Orthorexia is described as an unhealthy obsession with foods seen as healthy, pure or ‘clean’. The signs listed include strict food rules, fear of eating foods viewed as unhealthy, anxiety when eating plans change, and avoiding social situations involving food.
Diabulimia is covered as a term used when someone with type 1 diabetes reduces or misses insulin doses to lose weight. The infographic highlights warning signs such as skipping insulin, high blood sugar levels, preoccupation with weight or shape, mood changes and irritability, making it useful for diabetes teams, parents and mental health practitioners.
Pregorexia is explained as restrictive eating or excessive exercise during pregnancy to limit weight gain, while muscle dysmorphia is linked with extreme workouts, rigid eating rules and distress when workouts are missed. These sections may help midwives, perinatal workers, gym staff and therapists discuss risk, body image and support needs in a careful way.
A short ‘how you can help’ strip encourages listening without judgement, avoiding comments about weight or appearance, supporting the person to speak to someone trusted, offering patience, and reminding them they are not alone. It works well as a printable psychoeducation handout, display poster or prompt for early conversations about disordered eating signs.
