Being Aware of Abnormal Eating Habits in Your Roommate: What Do These Mean?

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope

Living with a roommate can have its ups and downs, as sharing a living space within close proximities with another individual can involve various challenges.

Whether your living situation is temporary or for the long-term, creating optimal living conditions for you and your roommate is an important aspect of learning how to live with another person.

Whether you are a college student or have relocated for a job or simply have a roommate as a way of saving money, establishing healthy boundaries is necessary for creating a positive living situation.

When Food Becomes an Issue

Roommates might clash over different things, such as who gets to park in the shared parking space, keeping clutter off the ground and the sink free of dirty dishes. While some situations are more easily managed and communicated about, other circumstances might be more sensitive. For many individuals, this might include food.

Eating behaviors can be a vulnerable topic for many, especially one who is struggling with an eating disorder. While many eating disorder behaviors are not as obvious and typically engaged in secretively, you may have observed abnormal patterns simply in your living situation with your roommate.

Drastic changes in eating habits typically reveal a more serious problem at hand. While this might not necessarily indicate that an eating disorder is present, these are not things that should be overlooked. If you have noticed that your roommate frequently skips meals, has transitioned to buy minimal groceries, or avoids eating altogether, this may demonstrate a more serious issue.

Other concerning behaviors would be hoarding of food, the sudden disappearance of large quantities of food, or the consumption of a large amount of food in a short period of time.

Opening Communication

Any type of abnormal eating behaviors should be concerning, and it is important to have an open talk with your roommate about your concerns. Whether you are close to your roommate or not, you can approach them from a place of care and with intention to help them connect to resources they need for support. It is not your place to try to “fix” your roommate’s behaviors, but simply by expressing your concern, you might help them realize the greater issue at hand.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What are some ways in which you can effectively reach a roommate with abnormal eating patterns?

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on July 14, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com