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.
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