How Can You Tell If Your Teenager is Suffering from an Eating Disorder?

Teenage is the time when girls and boys start paying attention to the way they are. Some times, they tend to hold themselves in low esteem. The focus is on how plump they are and how they would rather be. They are fascinated by the glamour kings and queens of the world and then try to emulate their favorite stars with disastrous results on their body. Parents should watch out for signs that betray eating problems in their teenagers.

There two main eating disorders that mothers should know about -Anorexia and Bulimia. An Anorexic teenager is obsessed about losing weight. A majority of them are over-weight and girls. They would want to become thin by starving, excessive exercising, and extensive use of laxatives. There are certain signs that tell parents if their child is anorexic or is likely to be one. Girls would conceal their thin frame by wearing many layers of clothes. This also keeps them warm. They have very little fat in their body to insulate them against cold, so they are likely to complain more about feeling cold than normal people.

Anorexic teenagers complain of abdominal pains after eating food, because their stomach size have shrunk due to eating low amounts of food over a period of time. It is also an excuse for taking laxatives. They also suffer from constipation. Anorexic girls suffer on another count too. The onset of puberty is delayed or stopped. The menstrual cycle get adversely affected. In extreme cases, their periods cease to occur completely. The teenager looks very unhealthy. Skin becomes dry, nails brittle and soft hair growth on the face is observable. Anorexic girls exercise immoderately to lose calories. They will weigh themselves every now and them and like to read about slimming. An Anorexic teenager is reluctant to eat meals with the family. They have meals at odd times.

A bulimic would alternate between binging (eating inordinate amounts of food at a single go) and purging (getting rid of the eaten meal by induced vomiting, laxatives, etc). Bulimics like to eat sweet, starchy, and fatty foods. Mothers should be extra careful about the disappearance of chocolates, biscuits, pastries, jams, ice creams that they have stocked in their kitchen cupboards and refrigerators. Immoderate intake of these foods can satisfy their craving for the time being.

The bulimic teenager would skip regular and healthy meal partly because their hunger has been satisfied at that point of time and to balance out the calories he gained after a binging session. The result - she is deprived of nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates and potassium necessary. Dehydration and constipations sets in. If you suspect your teenager is bulimic, look out for signs and the smell of vomit in the bathroom.

Apart from the above symptoms, mood swings, fatigue, and depression may be signs that the teenager is suffering from an eating disorder. The problem has to be identified and professional help sought. Family support helps the teenager overcome his disorder easily.