Tips for Stopping Eating Disorders Before They Can Start

About two percent of all female adolescents and young women have either anorexia or bulimia. As a mother of three girls, this is a daunting statistic. In our media-focused world where looks and body image are portrayed as vital in order to achieve popularity, fame or beauty, it's no wonder that so many young people are starving themselves to death. And this should be worrisome for caregivers.

In university, I took several courses about the brain and bioneuropsychology. One of the most informative, yet disturbing, sections in one course I took focused a great deal on eating disorders. Did you know that there are actually underground online support groups for anorexics? Not supporting them in maintaining treatment but supporting them not to! Such groups teach these young people how to keep up the charade of treatment and healthy eating while secretly continuing to purge or starve. These days, it isn't unusual for children under the age of ten to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Knowing all of this, caregivers need to do everything they can to prevent eating disorders before they have a chance to develop-the earlier the better.

Here are a few suggestions:

Eat to live, not live to eat. The number one thing to teach young people as early as possible is having a healthy relationship with food. Teach what a healthy portion is. Show the importance of having a variety of foods from all the food groups each day. Tell them to eat until they're full not stuffed. These importance basics teach children that food is a life source-fuel for our bodies to function effectively.

Everything in moderation. This means it's okay to have a cheeseburger or piece of pie once in awhile. You just don't need them everyday or a whole pie. Giving children a regular, healthy diet with these other foods presented as 'sometimes foods' teaches them to reach for the apple more often than the chocolate bar.

You are beautiful. It is vital for children to have a strong self-esteem, high confidence, and healthy body image. All of these things can be impaired in school through bullying or the struggle to keep up with the crowd. Children should participate in activities they enjoy and are good at to keep their self-esteem up as well as having a strong connection with family and good friends. Children who love and accept themselves for who they are seem less likely to hurt themselves through addiction or eating disorders. They are also less likely to fall into peer pressure of being unrealistically thin.

Boys are affected too. Although it's true that eating disorders seem to be more common in girls, statistics show that eating disorders in boys is on the rise. According to eMedTV, an estimated five to fifteen percent of people with anorexia or bulimia, and an estimated thirty-five percent of those with binge-eating disorder, are male. This shows gender isn't a discriminating factor when it comes to eating disorders and we need to be giving the same information to boys as we are to girls.

Teach them to manage stress effectively. One of the main reasons many young people develop eating disorders is to gain control they don't feel they have. In their view, they can't control what goes on around them but they can control what they put in their mouths. Teaching children to talk about their feelings or problems and helping guide them to more effective coping tools (such as exercise, journaling, counseling, etc.) gives them back some of that control. And be sure to be one of those people they can come to about anything.

Keep on moving. Exercise is extremely important. Get kids out there playing, kicking, running, doing sports, dancing or whatever activity they enjoy doing. Health is an overall balance of healthy food, movement, hydration, rest and stress management. Teaching children these things early on will inspire them to continue the same regimen as they grow.

Know the warning signs. There are basically two main types of eating disorders: (a) anorexia which is when a person starves themselves; and (b) bulimia nervosa where the person binges food then purges it. A person with bulimia is often easier to treat as they understand they have an issue and are usually more willing to accept help. Those suffering with anorexia are much more difficult to treat because they often do not see they have a problem and refuse treatment. But if you know what to look for, getting someone with either of these conditions the help they need as soon as possible can be life-saving.

According to Family Education.com caregivers should watch for the following signs/symptoms:

Anorexia: Losing a significant amount of weight (25 percent of normal body weight) when no diet plan is needed or has been discussed; distorted body image (the person feels "fat" even when she's very thin; continuing to diet even once she's thin; fear of weight gain; amenorrhea (losing monthly menstrual periods); being preoccupied with food, calories, nutrition, and/or cooking; exercising compulsively; binging and purging.

Bulimia: Binging or eating uncontrollably, often secretly; purging by strict dieting, fasting, vigorous exercise, vomiting, or abusing laxatives or diuretics in an effort to lose weight; using the bathroom frequently after meals; preoccupation with body weight; depression or mood swings; irregular periods; developing dental problems, swollen cheek glands, or bloating.

In addition, also watch for excessive weight loss in a short period of time, bulky clothes to hide weight loss, sudden lack of interest in usual activities, excuses for not eating meals, or avoiding activities or events where food will be served.

If left to continue, irreversible health issues could develop or possibly death. If you suspect that your child, or another child you care about, suffers with an eating disorder, it's vital to get them help as soon as possible. And giving them early lessons about overall health, eating and living is a great form of prevention.

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SOURCES:

Family Education. Com - Teens and Eating Disorders EMedTV.com - Eating Disorder Statistics