This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a time to confront pervasive issues around how food and body image issues impact people, especially teenage girls, and women. Eating disorders are increasingly common among children and teens and can have devastating effects that start during youth and last a lifetime. Eating disorders are the third most prevalent type of chronic illness in teen girls – according to the National Institute of Health, as many as 5% of girls will suffer from an eating disorder before they turn 18. While teenage girls are the most likely to experience an eating disorder, an increasing number of boys and LGBTQIA youth are also affected. Instances of body image-related issues are on the rise in general and have increased sharply throughout the past three decades.
Understanding the Dangers of Eating Disorders
It is important to note that while it seems like eating disorders are everywhere, they are serious and have enormous consequences, including lasting illness and, in some cases, death. Obsessions with food, body weight, and shape may be typical signals of an eating disorder. The most common types of eating disorders include:
- Anorexia nervosa, or extreme limiting of food. People who suffer from anorexia will resort to dire methods to reduce the amount of food they eat and may continue to talk about feeling fat or seeking diets even when they become very thin.
- Bulimia nervosa, or “bingeing and purging.” A bulimic person may appear enthusiastic or ravenous at mealtimes but will purge their meals by vomiting, using laxatives, enemas, or excessive exercise.
- Binge eating, or an unstoppable urge to eat excessive amounts of food that is followed by feelings of shame and guilt.
Recognizing eating disorders’ harmful impact on a person’s health is crucial. Virtually every organ system in the body is harmed by eating disorders. Severe eating disorders can cause lasting damage to a person’s skin, bones, and muscle fibers and compromises the immune system, leading to frequent colds, cases of flu, and more severe infections. Without intervention and treatment, up to 20% of eating disorder cases can result in death.
People with anorexia nervosa are likely to experience a sharp decline in energy and motivation, and women are likely to experience irregular menstrual cycles. Hair loss, dizziness, and severe anxiety are known to accompany anorexia. Because anorexic people limit what they eat, they are also likely to limit how and when they socialize and may choose to miss out on activities and social settings. This antisocial behavior can cause a person’s suffering to spike, leading to severe depression, obsessive behavior, or suicidality.
People who suffer from bulimia are prone to dental decay, muscle weakness, and stomach pain. The risks associated with eating disorders are amplified for children and teens, whose bodies cannot develop because they are not adequately or consistently nourished properly. Binge eating, in particular, is known to have long-term physical effects such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
How To Spot Disordered Eating in Teens
Secrecy can cause massive frustration between adults and teens. During adolescence, it is normal for young people to experience hormonal fluctuations, physical and sexual impulses, and new emotional patterns – all of which can feel embarrassing or overwhelming to talk about with parents.
Eating disorders are an extreme example of how secrecy can turn deadly. Here are some signs that a young person may be concealing an eating disorder:
- They become picky about what they eat or make excuses to skip meals on a recurring basis.
- They disappear after a meal. Self-induced vomiting is the most common form of bulimia. If your teen makes frequent trips to the bathroom, is retching, or carries the odor of vomit after a meal, they may be suffering from bulimia.
- They start wearing baggy clothing. While a teen with an eating disorder might be proud of a thinning body in some environments, they will likely try to hide their changing shape from their parents.
- You notice that they obsess over their looks. Whether in front of a mirror or in conversation with their friends, constantly talking about their looks or negatively referring to their body shape is a telltale sign that a teen has body image issues.
How To Confront a Teen with an Eating Disorder
To help bridge the communication gap between teens and adults, it is critical for adults to approach conversations around eating disorders with compassion and empathy. Rather than diving in and accusing a teen of doing something wrong, try to understand their perspective. Do they feel alienated by their peers? Are they setting unrealistic expectations for themselves? Has pop culture created an impossible set of beauty ideals for them to aspire to? Find ways to level with them and to appreciate their experience.
Understanding different eating disorders and why they happen can help guide an adult through intervention or relapse. Adults can schedule appointments with dieticians and pediatricians to reinforce healthy ideas around food, nutrition, and body image when it feels right.
How To Approach Treatment for Eating Disorders
The essential takeaway around eating disorders is this – they are fully treatable, and treatment is most effective when it starts early. While treatment cannot undo severe damage to a body’s tissues and organs, it can rebuild a teen’s sense of what is and is not healthy, both physically and mentally. Depending on the diagnosis and severity of an eating disorder, doctors may recommend therapeutic options with counselors, psychiatrists, or support groups. Teens have the capacity for self-love, even when it seems like they are their own worst enemies.
If your child needs professional help to overcome an eating disorder, don’t wait – seek support now. Through our Community-Based mental health services, Maryvale can assist you in finding supportive care.
