Early recognition and early treatment of Eating Disorders with children and teens is the best way to avoid serious health problems. It is important to realize that Eating Disorders are not uncommon in children and teens. With all the life changing moments that occur the pressure is on to look a certain way and that is when unhealthy eating patterns and behaviors occur. Sometimes, being part of a sport such as ballet, gymnastics, or running, where being lean is encouraged, is associated with eating disorders in teens. In one study, researchers linked anorexia with an obsession with perfectionism — concern over mistakes, high personal standards, and parental expectations and criticism.
What are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are a group of conditions marked by an unhealthy relationship with food. Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are psychological disorders that involve extreme disturbances in eating behavior.
Three main types of eating disorders:
1. Anorexia Nervosa
This is characterized by weight loss often due to excessive dieting and exercise, sometimes to the point of starvation. People with anorexia feel they can never be thin enough and continue to see themselves as “fat” despite extreme weight loss.
Warning signs of anorexia include:
- Dramatic weight loss.
- Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.
- Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).
- Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss.
- Anxiety about gaining weight or being “fat.”
- Denial of hunger.
- Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate).
- Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.
- Excessive, rigid exercise regimen–despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to “burn off” calories taken in.
- Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.
- In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.
2. Bulimia Nervosa
The condition is marked by cycles of extreme overeating, known as bingeing, followed by purging or other behaviors to compensate for the overeating. It is also associated with feelings of loss of control about eating.
Warning signs of bulimia include:
- Extreme preoccupation about being overweight
- Strict dieting followed by high-calorie eating binges
- Overeating when distressed
- Feeling out of control
- Disappearing after a meal
- Depressed moods
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Frequent use of laxatives or diuretics
- Excessive exercising
- Irregular menstrual cycles
3. Binge Eating Disorder
This is characterized by regular episodes of extreme overeating and feelings of loss of control about eating.
Warning signs of binge eating disorder include:
- Inability to stop eating or control what you’re eating
- Rapidly eating large amounts of food
- Eating even when you’re full
- Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret
- Eating normally around others, but gorging when you’re alone
- Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes
- Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating
- Embarrassment over how much you’re eating
- Feeling numb while bingeing—like you’re not really there or you’re on auto-pilot.
- Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat
- Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
- Desperation to control weight and eating habits
How Can Eating Disorders Hurt Your Health?
If left untreated, eating disorders can lead to serious illness and even death. Eating disorders are also linked to kidney disease and heart disease. Each of these health problems requires specific tests and treatment.
With anorexia or bulimia you may see severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure. Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness is common along with dry hair and skin, and hair loss. With anorexia, you may get growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
Along with the lower body weight, girls with anorexia nervosa can lose their menstrual periods (amenorrhea). The loss of periods is associated with osteopenia, early bone loss that can lead to painful fractures.
Symptoms of eating disorders may include the following:
- A distorted body image
- Skipping most meals
- Unusual eating habits (such as eating thousands of calories at one meal or skipping meals)
- Frequent weighing
- Extreme weight change
- Insomnia
- Constipation
- Skin rash or dry skin
- Dental cavities
- Erosion of tooth enamel
- Loss of hair or nail quality
- Hyperactivity and high interest in exercise
If you or anyone you care about have several of the above symptoms, you can always get help.
Contact sharmeen@ocmindbodycoachingcounseling.com
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