Don't worry, this isn't one of those "i want an eating disorder" questions at all. But my main question is, can it take a length of time for an eating disorder to develop? For instance, is it sometimes the case that somebody over a year or more displays many eating-disordered behaviours over amounts of time but never loses more than about half a stone, and ends up going back to almost normal eating even though the thoughts are still there? If this person gains weight overall but after suicide attempts starts these behaviours in more force, is it likely that they'll develop an eating disorder or more likely that they won't and they'll just go back to normal again?
Overall, how does an eating disorder often start and how long can it take to really become an eating disorder? Thank you for any answers.