Signs of Eating Disorders: Teenagers and Anorexia

Sad to say, but it is common for teenagers to become anorexic. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can lead to a person's death. It can be said that in a teenager's mind weight equals self esteem. When a teenager has fear of rejection he or she might be willing to do just about anything to fit in. That includes starving their body which leads to anorexia. There are many signs to watch out for if you think a teenager has anorexia.

Behavior

The first sign to watch out for is a change in the teenager's behavior. Usually they become sneaky. That is because they are trying to hide their actions. They want to appear normal, and they want to show that nothing is wrong. Somewhere inside of them they probably know that their actions are wrong. So they will be defensive of their actions, and they will hide what they are doing as much as they can.

Weight

Weight will be a huge concern for a teenager suffering from anorexia. Teenagers will do everything they can to lose weight. They have a strange idea that if they just lose enough weight that the whole world will love them. In reality, it does not matter how much you weigh because people like you because of who you are as a person, and not what the scale says. However, teenagers who have anorexia do not understand that concept. They will constantly be weighing themselves on the scale, and they will be keeping track of each calorie that they put into their mouths.

Exercising

You will probably notice that the teenager in question of having anorexia will suddenly be really into exercise. Although some exercise is always a good thing, there is such a thing as over doing it. The teenager might even brag about it. Exercise will become an obsession. If the teenager you are concerned about was a couch potato, and suddenly she or he is an exercise fanatic you might want to keep an eye on it.

Food

Honestly, food will become the enemy to a teenager that is anorexic. Each bite will seem very painful to them. So, watch out for the signs of them skipping meals as much as possible. Watch out for stories of how they are just too busy to eat, and they got up too late to eat breakfast/make lunch. Make sure to watch them eat their meals because they might get creative in ways to make it look like they are eating, but they are actually disposing it in other means. For examples, putting eaten food into their napkin, or feeding their food to a pet. Be suspicious if they go to the bathroom after eating because anorexia can lead to another eating disorder known as bulimia nervosa in which a person makes themselves vomit after eating food.

Appearance

A teenager who has anorexia usually changes in appearance. They will look pale and unhealthy. Some teenagers with anorexia will lose so much weight that they try to hide it by wearing bagging clothes. The teenager with anorexia will have a distorted self image, and he or she might not realize their true appearance. This is what leads some teenagers down the path to actually killing themselves with starvation. Anorexia is a truly awful eating disorder. If you suspect that someone has it talk to them, and try to get them professional help.

Source:

http://www.something-fishy.org/isf/signssymptoms.php