Student Minds
  • Find Support
    • Support for me >
      • Our Peer Support Programmes >
        • Thrive
        • Our confidentiality commitment
        • Support for specific difficulties
      • Support at your university and further
      • University staff-run workshops
    • Support for a friend >
      • Starting a conversation
      • Looking after yourself
    • Support for parents
    • Help through Coronavirus >
      • Coronavirus - Looking After Your Mental Health
      • Coronavirus - Student resources >
        • Assessments and exams from home ​
        • Managing digital communication
      • Student Space FAQs
    • Resources >
      • Men’s Mental Health
      • The Wellbeing Thesis
      • Transitions >
        • Transition into University
        • Know Before You Go
        • Transitions for staff
      • Starting University
      • Exam stress
      • LGBTQ+
      • Looking after your mental wellbeing
      • Year Abroad
      • Student finance
      • Support through a family health crisis
  • About
    • What we do >
      • Our impact
    • Our team >
      • Trustees
      • Clinical Advisors
      • Student Advisors
    • Our supporters
  • Get Involved
    • Student volunteering >
      • Charter Student Resources
      • University Mental Health Day
      • Write for us
      • Peer support groups >
        • Apply to be a peer support facilitator
        • Set up a peer support group
    • University staff >
      • Mental Health in Sport >
        • Mental Health in Sport Online
      • Look After Your Mate >
        • Look After Your Mate Online
      • Setting up a peer support group >
        • Students Minds peer support set up
        • Peer support Train the Trainer
    • Charter
    • Students’ Unions >
      • Mentally Healthy SUs Framework
      • Introduction to Student Mental Health Online
      • Look After Your Members Online
      • Campaigning and Creating Positive Change
    • Accommodation Providers
    • Research
  • News and Publications
    • Latest news
    • Research and publications >
      • Supporting Male Student Mental Health
      • Co-producing Mental Health Initiatives With Student Volunteers
      • Podcasting About Mental Health
      • Student Mental Health in a Pandemic >
        • Life in a pandemic: Wave II findings
        • Life in a Pandemic
      • Supporting Students with Eating Disorders
      • Co-producing mental health strategies with students
      • The Role of an Academic
      • LGBTQ+ Research​
      • Student Voices
      • Graduate Wellbeing
      • Student Living
      • Grand Challenges
      • University Peer Support
      • University Challenge
      • Looking After a Mate
      • Summary of HEFCE’s Report
    • Materials and resources
  • Support Us
    • Donate >
      • Online shopping
      • Payroll giving
    • Fundraise >
      • Step into Spring
      • Virtual Fundraising
      • Plan Your Own Event
      • RAGs and Student Societies
      • Celebrate with Student Minds
      • Challenge Events
      • Paying in money
      • Fundraising Resources
    • Corporate Partners
Picture

Support for specific difficulties

Eating Disorders

There are different types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).

​Here are 8 signs and symptoms of eating disorders that may have caused you concern for a friend...
  • Avoiding social situations that involve food / taking to eating alone or in secret / disruptions to ‘normal’ eating times.
  • Mood swings, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia.
  • Measuring self-worth based on weight: ‘good’ for not eating, ‘bad’ for giving in to eating. Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and cooking.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Nervous or indecisive around meal times, especially if the eating place is particularly obvious, such as a canteen or hall dining area.
  • Very aware of other peoples’ eating habits / weight / diets.
  • Compulsive exercise. 

How to support a friend

Start a conversation with them.
Think about the language you use. We’d suggest that you try not to say things like “why don’t you just eat?” This will only make your friend feel like you don’t understand how they are feeling, making them feel more isolated. Also, try not to make comments about your friend’s body or shape, or give the eating disorder too much attention. Your friend and the eating disorder are separable. Don’t ignore your friend, but try not to give the disorder too much attention. 

Mealtimes can be particularly difficult.
We don’t recommend that friends help with meals; this is an incredibly hard task and one that would be likely to put a lot of stress on any friendship. We know though that a lot of housemates find it difficult to live with someone with an eating disorder and so we have put together some thoughts on how to deal with meal time:
  • Have a conversation: Find time away from meal times to talk to your housemate and ask if there is anything you can do to make mealtimes easier. 
  • If the meal time is stressful for you, it is also stressful for your friend. If you can, do your best to stay calm during the mealtime. 
  • Keep conversations flowing: People like to be distracted from thinking about what they are eating. You can be a great help by simply chatting away about anything else going on in life! It may be helpful to listen to the radio, watch TV or play board games during meals.
  • Some people find that it helps to cook and eat together: We’d suggest that housemates lay down some ground rules – you don’t want to be in a position where you are changing what you would normally eat. You could simply cook similar meals. 
  • Don’t overly congratulate your friend for eating: There is likely going to be an ongoing argument in your friend’s mind about whether eating is a good thing or a bad thing – adding value statements such as praise or criticism really only adds fuel to this fire
  • It’s rude to stare: Where possible, avoid paying too much attention to what your friend is eating. No one likes to be watched and we certainly don’t like to be judged. Change will happen over time – it is not effective to raise issue with everything your housemate eats or does not eat. 
  • Spend time together after meals: This can reduce the anxiety your housemate is likely to be feeling. 

From our blog:
Top tips for supporting a friend with an eating disorder

< Back to support for specific difficulties
About
Get in contact
Jobs & Opportunities
Privacy statement
Feedback and Complaints

Student Minds is registered with Companies House, 07493445
Student Minds is a Charity registered in England and Wales, 1142783
Sign up to our newsletter

  • Find Support
    • Support for me >
      • Our Peer Support Programmes >
        • Thrive
        • Our confidentiality commitment
        • Support for specific difficulties
      • Support at your university and further
      • University staff-run workshops
    • Support for a friend >
      • Starting a conversation
      • Looking after yourself
    • Support for parents
    • Help through Coronavirus >
      • Coronavirus - Looking After Your Mental Health
      • Coronavirus - Student resources >
        • Assessments and exams from home ​
        • Managing digital communication
      • Student Space FAQs
    • Resources >
      • Men’s Mental Health
      • The Wellbeing Thesis
      • Transitions >
        • Transition into University
        • Know Before You Go
        • Transitions for staff
      • Starting University
      • Exam stress
      • LGBTQ+
      • Looking after your mental wellbeing
      • Year Abroad
      • Student finance
      • Support through a family health crisis
  • About
    • What we do >
      • Our impact
    • Our team >
      • Trustees
      • Clinical Advisors
      • Student Advisors
    • Our supporters
  • Get Involved
    • Student volunteering >
      • Charter Student Resources
      • University Mental Health Day
      • Write for us
      • Peer support groups >
        • Apply to be a peer support facilitator
        • Set up a peer support group
    • University staff >
      • Mental Health in Sport >
        • Mental Health in Sport Online
      • Look After Your Mate >
        • Look After Your Mate Online
      • Setting up a peer support group >
        • Students Minds peer support set up
        • Peer support Train the Trainer
    • Charter
    • Students’ Unions >
      • Mentally Healthy SUs Framework
      • Introduction to Student Mental Health Online
      • Look After Your Members Online
      • Campaigning and Creating Positive Change
    • Accommodation Providers
    • Research
  • News and Publications
    • Latest news
    • Research and publications >
      • Supporting Male Student Mental Health
      • Co-producing Mental Health Initiatives With Student Volunteers
      • Podcasting About Mental Health
      • Student Mental Health in a Pandemic >
        • Life in a pandemic: Wave II findings
        • Life in a Pandemic
      • Supporting Students with Eating Disorders
      • Co-producing mental health strategies with students
      • The Role of an Academic
      • LGBTQ+ Research​
      • Student Voices
      • Graduate Wellbeing
      • Student Living
      • Grand Challenges
      • University Peer Support
      • University Challenge
      • Looking After a Mate
      • Summary of HEFCE’s Report
    • Materials and resources
  • Support Us
    • Donate >
      • Online shopping
      • Payroll giving
    • Fundraise >
      • Step into Spring
      • Virtual Fundraising
      • Plan Your Own Event
      • RAGs and Student Societies
      • Celebrate with Student Minds
      • Challenge Events
      • Paying in money
      • Fundraising Resources
    • Corporate Partners