How to Identify Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Kids

Body image has always been a concern among kids, especially when they become teenagers. They are very concerned with how they look, and making sure that they do not put on too much weight. Peer pressure is a very strong motivator, as kids try to be like their friends. Sports, such as cheerleading and wrestling also drive kids to watch their weight, sometimes to an unhealthy extreme. These pressures sometimes drive kids to adopt unhealthy eating habits, which sometimes even expand into eating disorders. Recently, I heard a young girl, no more than ten years old, talking about how she needed to lose 15 pounds for cheerleading. That is not a healthy thing for normal children! If she were mine, I would be afraid that she would develop an eating disorder with such an attitude.

How can you know if your child has an eating disorder? You must be able to recognize the signs of the various eating disorders. Only when you are able to recognize these signs will you be able to help your child to fight through the disorder itself, as well as the pressures that your child is probably facing that drives them to such a disorder. These signs will tell you if your child is suffering from an eating disorder.

1. Being preoccupied with weight. This will be expressed by an unusual amount of discussion centered on weight, food and eating. It is natural for kids to be concerned about looking good, but it is not natural for them to be completely consumed with it. Turning down a favorite food, or a special treat should be a sign that something is wrong. Of course, a one time rejection is not in and of itself a sign, but a pattern of turning down some favorite food, especially because of a fear of gaining weight, should be considered. This sign can also be expressed by a constant talking about weight, especially about losing weight. Unless a child or teenager is really overweight, they should not be trying to lose weight. Forcing the body to lose weight when it is growing can be very detrimental. Not eating enough when growing will deprive the body of the calories and nutrients needed for healthy development. You will know that your child has a problem if they are at a good, healthy weight, but constantly are talking about, and obsessing over losing weight, are constantly counting calories, or concerned about fat content of their food. It is good to educate kids, teaching them how to be healthy, but do not let them become obsessed, and become unhealthy by not eating enough to sustain themselves, and develop their bodies.

2. Becoming withdrawn. Body image is often tied directly to self esteem. A kid who is not satisfied with their weight may also develop a low self esteem. Having a low self esteem will keep him from associating with others. He will probably begin severing the relationships that he has, and will not do anything to develop new ones. A person who has no confidence in themselves will think that no one else can see any need for them either. If you see your child begin to break off even long standing relationships, be very wary that something may be wrong. If they become withdrawn even from your family, take it as a sign of a problem. Of course, this sign can be a sign of other problems as well, but it is a sign often associated with eating disorders.

3. Suddenly wearing baggy clothing. Often times, a kid who is suffering from an eating disorder will begin to wear very baggy clothing to hide the fact that they are losing a lot of weight. People with eating disorders always think they are fat, regardless of what the truth may be. They can wither away to nearly nothing, and still think of themselves as overweight. However, when they are becoming thinner, they will try to hide their weight loss from others, especially if their weight loss has been noticed. Wearing sweatshirts when the weather is really too warm for it, or jackets that are too big could be a sign that your child is suffering from an eating disorder.

4. Binge eating followed by immediate trips to the restroom. If your child is losing weight, but seems to be eating more than normal, you should be concerned about an eating disorder. The body craves food, and a person with an eating disorder will often binge eat and then purge by vomiting the food. Of course, this is what most people think of when "eating disorder" is mentioned. If you notice that your child has the pattern of eating large amounts at one time, and then retires to the restroom immediately, you should be concerned with this possibility.

5. Making excuses for not eating. Many people who have eating disorders will have a laundry list of excuses for not eating. Claims of allergies, where no allergy exists, claiming to dislike something, or claims that they are eating somewhere else are all possibilities of excuses for not eating. If you notice that the excuses are adding up, and becoming more ridiculous, an eating disorder is quite probably the reason.

6. Excessive exercise. Being conscious of healthful practices is not uncommon today, even among younger kids. However, if your child is taking exercise to the extreme, you will know they are trying to lose weight, even if they don't have any extra weight to lose. Exercise is a good thing, but excessive exercise can cause severe damage to the body.

7. Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation), or irregular menstruation. One sign for teenage girls may be the loss of menstruation, or a suddenly irregular menstrual cycle. As the body begins to shut down from lack of nutrition, one thing that it does naturally is make sure that pregnancy cannot take place. The end of a menstrual cycle is a sign that the body has entered into that stage. This may be a difficult sign to diagnose, but it is a sign that once noticed will help you identify the deeper source of the problem, an eating disorder.

Many of these signs can be symptoms of other problems, but when put together, they point to eating disorders. This is a dangerous problem among young people today, so learning these symptoms is an important step for parents. The better you as a parent are informed of the signs, the better chance you have of identifying an eating disorder in the early stages. Any disorder identified in the early stages is much easier to deal with and correct.