Eating Disorders and Children

by Vanessa Selene Williams

It's disturbing. A recent story reported that children as young as five are obsessed with their weight and being diagnosed for eating disorders at an alarming rate. This trend continues to rise.

Why is this happening? No one knows exactly why children are dying to be thin. Maybe it's television. Maybe it's music videos. Maybe it's magazine. Maybe, it's psychological. Maybe, it's social pressure to be thin. Maybe, it's a need for control. Most likely, it's a combination of all of the above. No one knows, but this disturbing trend continues to rise. When seeking medical attention, your child will undergo a medical and psychological examination. The doctor will then determine if there truly is something to be concerned about. Plus, what course of treatment or steps should be taken.

How can you tell if your child has a problem? Look for the following symptoms:

• Is your child limiting his or her food intake? Check how often your child eats and when. See if your child rarely eats and refuses his or her favorite foods.
• Is your child making hurtful comments? Listen for self-criticism. Is your child claiming she is too fat? Is she talking about dieting and obsessed with calories and fat? Or, is your child obsessed with exercise?
• Is your child afraid of becoming overweight?
• Do you or another family member have a history of eating disorders? There is some evidence that eating disorders may be genetic.
• Is your child losing weight? Vomiting excessively? If your child has these symptoms, it's essential to seek medical help.

Treatment for eating disorders takes three routes: Psychotherapy, Medication, and Nutrition Counseling. During psychotherapy, the patient will learn what triggers their reaction to food and how to control their eating disorder. During medication therapy, children will be given medication, which will help control symptoms of depression. During nutrition counseling, patients will learn proper eating habits and be assigned a menu.

If you child exhibits some of the obsession but does not exhibit any medical symptoms, you can prevent eating disorders. To help your child, first change your habits. Look in the mirror. Are you always dieting? Do you insult overweight individuals? Do you constantly talk about losing weight? Children learn the habits from you be a good example. You should be careful what you say to children. Some children are more sensitive than others are. Good-natured teasing can do more harm than good.

To further prevent eating disorders, don't force your child too eat when not hungry. However, don't limit their food intake either. Let your child determine whether he or she is satiated. Also, teach your child to love her or himself, instead of focusing on the negative things focus on the positive.

Remember, an early start means a healthier tomorrow. By teaching your child good habits today you help them achieve optimum health and happiness for themselves as well as future generations.

Vanessa S. Williams is the site manager of www.eatrightkids.com. For more of her articles, please visit her website.  This article was first published on Suite 101.