Do you have a healthy attitude towards your food and your body?

Do you starve yourself to fit into your skinny jeans or step on the scale every day to determine how much, when or even if you will eat? In a society where unhealthy attitudes and behaviours towards food, weight, and dieting have become increasingly common among both females and males, take time to reflect on how you judge not only yourself but others.

Try the following self-check: Do any or all of these statements sound like you? A few or even a single positive response may indicate that you have a serious eating or body image problem. Even if you don’t feel ready to change anything right now, it can help to talk to someone. There are many professionals on campus with experience in helping students with disordered eating. A good place to start your journey to better health is to make an appointment at Campus Wellness by calling 519-888-4096.

Check which of the following statements apply to you: 

I'm always thinking about food, weight or the way I look

I think about food and weight no matter what I'm doing

I'm ashamed or feel guilty about what I eat

I eat in secret or lie about what I have eaten

I plan my day around food or ways to avoid food

I work, exercise or see people too much to avoid eating

I often over-eat or under-eat and don't control it

I try to make up for eating by purging or eating very little

I weigh myself every day and my mood depends on the numbers

I obsess about parts of my body that are "wrong", no matter my size or how much I weigh

I count the calories of everything I eat or drink

I exercise or eat less to punish myself for how much I weigh

I am very strict about staying a certain weight

I exercise even if I feel sick

I exercise to lose weight, or because I ate too much

I call foods "good" and "bad" and feel good or bad depending on which I eat

(Source: National Eating Disorders Information Centre)