World Mental Health Day (10th October 2025) is a reminder that mental health is not a niche issue—it touches everyone, whether openly or behind closed doors. Hear from our coach Shannon on women’s mental health and eating disorders.

What are some subtle signs that someone might be sliding into disordered eating that most people miss?

Disordered eating takes so many forms, more than we might think or be aware of. It also often coexists with other mental health issues like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and trauma. Many people notice the big signs of the more common eating disorders; usually, these signs people notice are physical changes. Rapid weight loss is often the first noticeable change. Those closest to the person struggling may sometimes notice irritability, low energy, and a low mood.

To properly look at the subtle signs of disordered eating we may commonly miss, we first need to be aware of the different types of disordered eating. The two that people are most familiar with are Anorexia (extreme restriction of food intake for fear of weight gain) and Bulimia (cycles of binge eating where large amounts of food are consumed followed by a ‘compensation’ of usually self-induced vomiting, or even laxative abuse). Less known about eating disorders are Binge Eating Disorder (BED- similar to bulimia, where we have episodes of large amounts of food being consumed to the point of discomfort, however it is not followed by any purging behaviours afterward), Orthorexia (an unhealthy fixation with eating only foods one may consider ‘pure’, ‘clean’, or ‘healthy’. This often starts with good intentions of wanting to ‘eat healthier’, but becomes an obsession which can cross into disordered eating when it damages mental, physical, and social health. Orthorexia is not officially in DSM-5, but is increasingly recognised. These are the eating disorders that surround body image and weight control. There are also eating disorders that do not surround body image and weight control but rather are unusual eating behaviours that can harm the body in other ways, like Pica, Rumination disorder, and ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), which I will not touch on as much today.

When someone first slips into disordered eating, the signs will not be highly noticeable, but this doesn’t mean they should be ignored. There will definitely be changes in eating habits, such as skipping meals, eating in secret, or constant grazing (eating small amounts of food continuously and frequently throughout the day). It can be mindless snacking, or compulsive, where one reaches for food even when not hungry. It becomes a problem when it is accompanied by feelings of shame, secrecy, or a lack of control. People may graze in private out of shame, hide food wrappers, and feel guilty after eating. It’s dangerous as it can disrupt hunger cues by making it harder to recognise real hunger and fullness. We may also see obsessive tracking of calories, macros, or ‘clean’ foods. Most will also set sudden, rigid rules around food, even in social settings.

Often, we will also see shifts in mood and behaviour. Slipping into disordered eating can also cause heightened irritability, anxiety, or guilt around food. We should also look out for those who avoid social situations involving meals, withdrawing themselves from situations where food is involved, isolating the person struggling with disordered eating, for fear of being judged or if the food doesn’t meet their ‘standards’. This damages their social health and pushes away loved ones who may be important in recognising and supporting them through recovery from disordered eating. The mood and behaviour shifts may also present themselves in perfectionism or extreme self-criticism.

A compulsive focus on appearance or ‘health’ in extreme ways is another thing to look out for. Frequent body checking (mirrors, measuring tape), and weighing themselves every day or multiple times a day. They may also constantly talk about ‘bad’ or ‘good’ foods; these labels on food can already cause negative feelings around food and are something we should try to avoid. Overexercising or using exercise as punishment is also extremely common; this is harmful in the way it frames exercise and can lead to negative feelings surrounding exercise. Exercise should not be used as a means of burning calories, as it is ineffective. This is why when we approach weight loss in a healthy and sustainable way, we use a slight calorie deficit and exercise as a support by building muscle mass, which in turn helps us to increase our basal metabolism.

Physical cues are a good thing we can look for. Those who slip into disordered eating may experience fluctuating weight, unexplained fatigue, and dizziness. Frequent stomach complaints are common due to digestive issues. We may also observe hair, skin, or nail changes that indicate nutrient deficiencies.

Some psychological signs to look out for can be preoccupation with food, dieting, or body shape and image. Disordered eating can cause feelings of shame or anxiety after eating, even in small amounts. It can also be difficult for those with disordered eating to enjoy meals or socialising around food.

What I have shared barely scratches the surface of what we can look out for when it comes to the subtle signs that someone has slipped into disordered eating. Anyone who has experienced disordered eating will have a different experience and a different story to tell. Look out for your friends and family, eating disorders are complex, no matter what and should not be taken lightly. Check in on those around you and check in on yourself. It is a slippery slope that no one should have to navigate, much less face alone.

How do you balance promoting strength and performance in women without feeding into body image pressures?

Why do you train? A question that even I find hard to answer. I started as a personal training client, and I still remember filling out my questionnaire. ‘What are your goals?’ I was quick to write ‘Lose fat, build a butt, smaller waist, defined muscle, and to be leaner’. It’s what so many female clients come in wanting, and I don’t blame you. Social media inundates us with content about being more attractive, presenting a certain appearance that society encourages and deems ideal. Along with that, we are fed content of ‘15 minute fat blaster’, ‘3-minute ab circuit for a toned tummy’, ‘do this exercise and you’ll look like your favourite celebrity in weeks’, ‘drink this tea to drop inches off your waist with no added exercise’. It has come to a point where women can’t exist without comparison to what they see on screens, to what they looked like when they were younger, and to what the rest of the world wants them to look like.

Wanting to look better is not wrong. However, at the end of the day, women just want to feel confident. It is challenging, especially considering all the information we are given about what makes us more attractive or less desirable. I hope you don’t feel ashamed about how you look, or how you want to look. The ‘you’ now is just as beautiful as the ‘you’ that is maybe smaller, leaner, more athletic looking, because you are you, not because you look a certain way.

For the longest time, strength training for me was primarily about achieving a certain appearance. It was only after I had been in the gym a while that it had become a safe space; it was my ‘me time’ and the only time my mind would be quiet. I saw other benefits: I was stronger, I had more muscle, so I could eat more (my love for food is unmatched, I promise), I could work on myself to be better, not just physically, but showing up demanded discipline and resilience. Looking ‘better’ is not all strength training has to offer, but if it is a change in appearance that motivates you to start in the first place, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. However, I believe it is essential to reframe your mindset as you progress along your journey, because strength training will remain with you even when you are much older and your physical appearance changes. It will support you physically in helping to maintain your strength, bone density, and overall health. It will support you mentally by providing an outlet to improve yourself, where your only competition should be yourself, and your goal is to become a better version of who you were yesterday.

The way I balance promoting strength training in women, without feeding into body image pressures, has been simple. As much as I can guide my clients and myself to look the way they want to, the focus is never that alone. The proper nutrition will help you to lose or gain weight if that is what you desire, but it also allows you to feel better. You’ll be less tired, less bloated, more satisfied, and better fueled. The right program paired with the right nutrition will help you put muscle on and be more ‘toned’, but you will be stronger, carrying your groceries will be easier, playing with your children becomes play for you too instead of tiring you out for the rest of the day, climbing hills or walking on holidays will not limit how much you can see anymore. Alongside recognising the other benefits strength training can offer, I also do not overly restrict what clients can eat. Rather, I try to make small changes to both their nutrition and their daily activities and habits. Most importantly, I try to teach my clients how their food fuels them, so that they make educated choices on their own and are empowered to make changes that are specific to their goals.

Yes, it can be hard to promote strength training without feeding into the body image pressures that society has already shoved down our throats. However, it is something we must all learn. At the end of the day, you are only human, and how you look will always be temporary. You have been blessed with your one body that has carried you through so much. Strength training only goes to further improve how your body can serve you, not to fit you in a mould of what’s most attractive.

Have you had to reframe your own relationship with food and exercise—and what changed that perspective?

My relationship with food and exercise has not always been good. Quite the opposite, in fact, and it’s even something I struggle with still. Growing up, I was always taller and bigger than my peers. I remember being sent to the doctor after a school checkup, and the doctor told me I had early-onset puberty. I was young and didn’t understand much, but I remember having to take hormonal injections to slow the onset of my puberty. The injections weren’t what hurt me; it was the constant reminders that I looked different from the girls my age. The comments from my ‘friends’ saying I was bigger and should stop eating so much. The snide remarks from teachers when they had to make custom sized leotards because I couldn’t fit in regular children’s sizing, and getting moved to the back row in my dance performances so I wouldn’t block everyone else, despite the little girl who thought that as long as she practiced hard, that she would get to stand in the front with all her friends. It started as young as 5, and it never stopped. I didn’t understand it fully as a young girl; I just knew that people looked at me funny and treated me differently because I wasn’t like the rest, and that stuck with me till I was 17 or 18.

My teenage years were the hardest of all. I developed crippling depression and anxiety. At about 14, I would regularly force myself to have just a can of coffee for my school meal, and then come home to tell my parents I had a huge meal and would only eat dinner. On many of these days, I couldn’t handle the discomfort of hunger and fatigue. I would binge on food, in secret if I could, and force myself to throw up till I felt ‘empty enough’. So many days of school, I stayed home because the thought of leaving the house made me shake. I would cry, sob my eyes out in the school toilet on days I went, cry in bed on the days I stayed home. I just wanted to be happy, to look like my friends, not to get stared down by men because I looked older, not to be told to cover up because I was developing faster than my peers. It got to the point that I was angry with myself for not looking ‘sick enough’ for people to care.

My struggles continued even as I was just starting out as a personal training client. Even at my smallest, I would punish myself on days I ate over my daily calories. I felt trapped in my body. Why wasn’t I happy yet? There was no ‘big moment’ that sparked my change in mindset. It took educating myself on nutrition to start to see some change. Realising that, realistically, staying in a caloric deficit wouldn’t be something I could do forever. It’s ironic that despite the bad relationship I had with food, it was something I loved so, so much. Learning that more muscle mass would let me eat more by raising my basal metabolism allowed me to be more forgiving with myself. Days that I felt I ‘ate too much’, I would tell myself I could use that extra food as fuel to perform better in the gym. I started eating more and training harder. I noticed physical changes, and I honestly loved how muscle looked on me! Switching to more whole foods helped me to feel better, too, and I felt more satiated, so I binged much less.

It took a lot of self-work to feel okay about eating without punishing myself again. Strength training for me has been amazing in helping me feel more empowered and stronger, and showing up on the days I felt horrible helped to ease the day and quiet my mind. I still struggle with how I look sometimes, and that’s okay. I don’t think it’s my fault for feeling that way, but I know all I can control is the work I put into myself, so I try to make changes to how I think and treat myself every day. 1% better compounds to a lot, and I think the younger me would be so proud of how far I’ve come in learning to love myself. I am not perfect, I never will be. Chasing physiques isn’t sustainable long term; no one will ever be ‘satisfied’. Subjecting your mind to more negativity on top of what we already face every day will not make you feel better about yourself. Learning to accept yourself as how you are, while continuously working on yourself, I think that’s the closest to satisfaction you can get and likely the happiest and most content you will be.

This is your reminder that it is YOUR body, own it, care for it, love it, give yourself chances, learn to forgive yourself and start over.

Therapy is often a cornerstone of eating disorder treatment. What role has it played for you or people you’ve worked with?

I feel like therapy is still a bit of a taboo, even now, with so much more awareness being brought to mental health disorders and the need for an outlet for people to talk about their struggles. I do wish this weren’t the case. Therapy is so important in providing people with a safe space to explore their thoughts, emotions, and triggers behind disordered eating and other mental health issues they may face. I know firsthand how hard it can be to bring up a topic as sensitive as disordered eating to someone you know, not just out of fear of being judged, but even feeling like you are being burdensome. As much as our peers and loved ones can support us through recovery, it is also unlikely that they are equipped with the tools and knowledge to guide us through disordered eating. This is not to discourage you from sharing your struggles with loved ones, but to acknowledge that some issues are bigger than us and that may need a professional who can look at your situation objectively with empathy and navigate through it with you.

Therapy can also help with co-occurring issues like depression, anxiety, and trauma. Under the guidance of a therapist, you can strengthen your coping skills, resilience, and, very importantly, self-compassion. All of these are incredibly important in long-term recovery. It’s also important to know that progressing in recovery isn’t linear. There will be days you fall off, and it’s important to be able to pick yourself up and keep going. Having a therapist can help keep you accountable to that. Many can feel that it’s hard to be vulnerable and share these things with a therapist because it’s like paying someone to be a friend. I used to think that way too. It took me becoming a personal trainer to realise that these therapists make it their job because they care so deeply and want to help, just as I chose to pursue being a trainer because I wanted to be able to help those who struggled like I did.

Therapy isn’t just sitting on a couch and telling a stranger you’re sad and about your problems. It’s actively seeking out someone to challenge the way you think, to rewire irrational thoughts that are harmful to yourself mentally. You’ll learn to cope in healthy ways, to reframe your mindset and adopt a new perspective, and to rebuild self-trust. I think it has helped me most of all in reinforcing my sense of self and truly digging deep enough to know who I am when everything is stripped away.

Being able to know yourself better and more deeply has played such a big part in helping me to reframe my attitudes toward body image, food, and exercise. Realising that my outward appearance was bound to change and that the most value I could draw out of exercise and nutrition lay in how treating my body with the kindness it deserved served me in ways a ‘perfect appearance’ could not. I’ve learned that long term, exercise and good nutrition will help me feel better when I’m 90 and wrinkly, it will help me feel better when my brain is so noisy I cannot hear myself think, it can help me get through my day just a little bit easier, and I wake up knowing that I’ve showed up for myself yet another day.

If a woman listening feels trapped in the cycle of body image obsession, what’s the first practical step you’d suggest?

Get off social media and put your scale somewhere hard to reach; don’t look in the mirror. Drink some water, sit in the sun and feel the warmth against your skin. Turn on your favourite music and dance.
There really is no big practical step you can take that will fix your problems. Focus on quieting your mind and just being. I think the world is much too vast and beautiful to spend your time trying to fit yourself in a mould, or crying in front of the mirror. Learning to love yourself takes time, and it takes work. It is not easy. Choosing to put in the work isn’t easy either; it takes effort and resilience to show up for yourself to be able to learn to treat yourself with love.

It is worth it.

In the moment, just let yourself be. I wish there were an easy solution, but slowing down or pulling yourself out of a spiral is the best first step you can take when you notice it happening. Remind yourself that a bad moment doesn’t make for a bad day, likewise, a bad day won’t make for a bad year, and it goes on. Just because it’s hard now doesn’t mean it will be like this forever. It gets better, so put in the effort to try for and be kinder to yourself. Take care of your heart, take care of your mind and take care of your soul. Better late than never, right?

Know that you are worth every bit of effort. Know that you are beautiful and loved because you are the person you are, and she is enough. Take up space, you deserve it.

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