When your child has an eating disorder
Eating disorders are a growing concern for parents worried about their children’s health and mental wellbeing. They should be – as many as 11 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders.
As children grow and respond to the pressures of their peers and popular culture, parents need to keep an eye on body image issues, and promote healthy food habits.
What is an eating disorder?
Anorexia nervosa is marked by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Young people suffering from anorexia may have poor body image issues and distorted perceptions of their bodies. Bulimia nervosa describes binge-eating and purging (vomiting, using laxatives, etc.) to prevent weight gain. Binge-eaters may also use fast or repetitive dieting to compensate for feelings of guilt following excessive eating.
While these technical definitions describe eating disorders, the problem usually goes much deeper.
"People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming," according the National Eating Disorder Association.
"For some, dieting, bingeing, and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one’s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control."
Young people with body image issues
Negative body image is one of the engines that drives eating disorders. It is characterized by a misperception that the victim is overweight, unattractive and fails to meet social standards for beauty. People with negative body image may feel shame because of their inability to meet those standards. Often what they see in the mirror does not jibe with reality.
Emotional factors
Unhealthy attitudes and habits related to weight loss are often tied to a lack of mental and emotional balance. Young people who live in an unstable environment, suffer distress inflicted by critical parents, or feel a social stigma related to weight issues might turn to eating disorders as a coping mechanism. Athletes use eating disorders to achieve what they perceive as performance enhancement.
"Athletes might start with abnormal eating attitudes and behaviors in an effort to improve performance," says Dr Ellen Rome, media committee chair for the Academy for Eating Disorders.
"Unfortunately, when the brain misses out on key nutrients for long enough, the eating disorder takes on a life of its own, at the expense of the athlete."
If you are concerned that your child may have an eating disorder, or is likely to engage in unhealthy behavior related to eating, pay close attention to his or her environment. Some of the answers may lie there.
What are the signs?
According to the NEDA, the following may indicate an eating disorder:
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age and activity level
- Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat"
- Feeling "fat" or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual periods
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
- Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
- Feeling out of control during a binge, and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise or fasting)
- Frequent dieting
- Tooth decay. Eighty-nine percent of bulimia patients show signs of tooth decay, resulting from frequent vomiting and/or nutritional deficiencies.
Parents may have difficulty coming to terms with their child’s eating disorder. Sometimes young people will hide it well, and appear healthy and fit.
What is the treatment?
The easiest way to treat an eating disorder is to prevent it altogether. Often, eating disorders start with emotional stress that surrounds the victim – family expectations, peer pressure, media messages, etc. Parents should ask themselves, "Is my child in an environment that promotes good body image?" If the answer is no, do what you can to communicate positive body image messages in your child’s life.
The NEDA also warns not to presume that eating disorders only affect females. Almost one in 10 eating disorder victims are male, and males are also likely to engage in dangerous behavior such as steroid use to "improve" their bodies.
Be proactive and study the complexity of eating disorders so you can understand the pressures your child may face.
When a parent has to face the prospect that prevention has not worked, and their child is displaying eating disorder symptoms, things get much more complicated. Eating disorders are a medical concern, and should be treated as such. Regardless of where you live, there should be treatment professionals in or near your community. Start with your family physician, or find a treatment specialist through a directory, such as the one offered by the NEDA or the Academy for Eating Disorders. There are many resources available on the Internet.
There is no one-size-fits -all approach to eating disorder treatment. Based on an individual’s behavior and progression, treatment may include a combination of in- or outpatient treatment, mental health treatment and the consultation of a nutrition professional. Being a proactive parent can help your child stay on the right track.