Who is concerned?
- Children, adolescents, and young adults.
- Relatives noticing changes in eating, mood, routines, or body concerns.
- First-line professionals, schools, youth services, health insurance funds (mutualities), and social workers.
Understand
Understanding eating disorders
Eating disorders are mental health conditions that affect eating, the body, and self-esteem. They can affect anyone, at any age, and early support makes referral and recovery more straightforward.
Clear guidance to recognise eating-disorder warning signs, know when to request an assessment, and identify the right referral path in Belgium.
Warning signs that deserve attention
- Restriction, avoidance, rigid food rules, or skipped meals.
- Binges, self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or compensatory exercise.
- Fatigue, faintness, school absence, social withdrawal, or intense meal-related anxiety.
Disorders
Main eating disorders
Anorexia
Severe restriction of food intake, intense fear of weight gain, and strict weight control.
CloseLearn more
Anorexia often leads to progressive isolation, psychological distress, and physical consequences that require specialised support.
Bulimia
Uncontrolled binge episodes and compensatory behaviors (vomiting, restriction, excessive exercise).
CloseLearn more
Binges and compensations can become a difficult cycle to interrupt without multidisciplinary care.
Binge eating
Binge episodes with loss of control, without compensatory behaviors.
CloseLearn more
Binge eating is frequently associated with significant emotional distress and deserves a comprehensive, non-judgmental approach.
ARFID
Marked food avoidance due to low interest, fears (choking, vomiting, being ill), or sensory sensitivities.
CloseLearn more
ARFID can lead to deficiencies, major fatigue, and social impact. Early identification improves care.
Guidance
For relatives and professionals
Pointers for relatives and professionals
- Talk about the change you notice without commenting on weight or trying to persuade at all costs.
- Avoid policing meals, guilt-based messages, or improvised nutrition advice.
- Suggest a medical or specialised dietetic appointment, even if the person minimises what is happening.
- Share this page with a parent, GP, psychologist, school team, or social worker whenever it can help guide the next step.
For professionals
- Document the recent changes, the current impact, and the urgency level.
- Coordinate early with the GP and, when relevant, the regional network.
- Use SCOFF as a screening aid, never as a stand-alone diagnosis.
Identify
Warning signs
- Significant weight loss or gain.
- Marked restriction or repeated binge episodes.
- Intense fear of eating or gaining weight.
- Vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise.
- Persistent fatigue, malaise, or sleep issues.
- Social withdrawal, heightened anxiety, or sadness.
- Meals increasingly avoided, especially in groups.
These signs may appear at home, at school, in primary care, or in sports settings. Noticing them early helps people seek support sooner.
When to seek help
- As soon as concern persists, even without dramatic weight loss.
- When meals become a source of conflict, anxiety, or isolation.
- When nutritional, medical, or psychological functioning seems affected.
When to refer quickly
- When relatives, school teams, or professionals feel stuck.
- When medical or psychiatric severity increases or several professionals are already involved.
- When a Belgian SMEA/GGKJ network or reference centre needs to be identified quickly.
SCOFF
Eating disorder screening test (SCOFF)
SCOFF is a screening test for eating disorders. If you have two positive answers, it is recommended to seek advice. Answer the 5 questions below by selecting Yes or No, then submit to view your score.
0/5
1.Have you ever made yourself vomit because you felt uncomfortably full?
2.Do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
3.Have you recently lost more than 6 kg in three months?
4.Do you believe you are fat when others say you are too thin?
5.Would you say that food is something that takes up a dominant place in your life?
Key takeaways
- Eating disorders are real illnesses, not a choice.
- They affect both physical and mental health.
- Paths are not always typical and can evolve.
- Early support improves recovery chances.
- A doubt is enough to reach out.
- ABE informs and orients people. It is not a medical care service.
Approach
- Personalised nutrition consultations
- Collaboration with family and healthcare teams
- Therapeutic groups and specialised workshops
- Training and awareness for professionals
Book a visit
A first consultation helps assess the situation and plan the next steps.
If you are trying to identify the right network, centre, or reimbursed pathway in Belgium, the Care pathways page gathers the most useful pointers for families and professionals.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
These answers are decision aids. They do not replace a personalised assessment.
Does the SCOFF confirm a diagnosis?
No. SCOFF is a screening instrument that helps identify when a fuller assessment is needed.
Should I wait for visible weight loss before seeking help?
No. Eating disorders may be present without obvious weight loss. Emotional, social, or nutritional impact is enough to justify consultation.
Who can guide referral in Belgium?
GPs, paediatricians, psychologists, specialised dietitians, and SMEA/GGKJ networks can help structure referral.
What is the difference between bulimia and binge-eating disorder?
Both may involve recurrent binge episodes with loss of control. In bulimia, these episodes are followed by regular compensatory behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, restriction, or excessive exercise. In binge-eating disorder, regular compensatory behaviours are absent. A professional assessment is still needed.
Who should I contact for bulimia or binge eating in Brussels?
A GP can assess the situation and coordinate referral. An eating-disorder psychologist and specialised dietitian can then contribute within an appropriate multidisciplinary care plan.
For relatives
- Focus on the changes you notice rather than on weight or appearance.
- Arrange a first medical, psychological, or specialised dietetic appointment early.
- Use reliable information to support conversations and next steps.
Editorial review
Roxane Aglave
Last reviewed :
Clear guidance to recognise eating-disorder warning signs, know when to request an assessment, and identify the right referral path in Belgium.
- La Ramée Clinic / CRAB-TCA
- Supraregional EMAS team
- UPDLF
- INAMI working group on the Belgian eating-disorder care pathway
Belgian official resources are mostly published in French or Dutch; English labels here are translations for orientation.
Sources and references
Belgian official sources and one clinical screening reference. Official Belgian materials are mostly available in French or Dutch.
