Archive for May, 2012

The Danger in Delayed Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Children

May 12th, 2012

The Danger in Delayed Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Children

There is a great danger in delayed diagnosis of eating disorders in children, primarily because people do not think of children as being old enough to have an eating disorder. A lot of the time, eating disorders occur in adolescents, because their hormones are turning on and they are having a tough time dealing with new changes to their bodies and peer pressure, and in adults who are struggling with their weight. The unfortunate truth is, most diagnoses of eating disorders in children don’t come until their condition is life-threatening.

You might be further surprised to learn that young boys are more likely to develop an eating disorder than girls of the same age, according to the Medical Journal of Australia in 2009. Believe it or not, boys and men are just as self-conscious about their looks and bodies as women. Instead of being pressured into just looking thinner, men also have the added worry about being adequately strong and toned. Because society traditionally expects only girls to have self esteem issues that would lead to an eating disorder, doctors often don’t even know to look for those signs in boys.

Think about these odds: If an eating disorder were caught early on in a child and treated properly, those children would have a 70% to 80% better chance of fully recovering within a year, and about a 90% better chance of improving those children’s condition fully within five years. Comparatively, an adult might only have a recovery rate of 50% in five years. The good news is that children can recover more easily if the signs are recognized, but the bad news is, those signs often go undetected far longer than they would in an adult.

Another thing to realize is that eating disorders are not just about your diet. Having an eating disorder is often a way of coping with stress and anxiety, so children who are watching their parents get a divorce might succumb to an eating disorder more easily, or children who have lost a close loved one.

To further complicate matters, the media and society in general have indoctrinated in children at a younger and younger age the importance of beauty and looking good. The effects of Disney teen stars like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, all of whom are mostly catering to a preteen and younger crowd, are excessively glamorous and intending to promote looking sexy. In the past, most children probably would not be exposed to that kind of message until sometime in their teens. The pressure to look as good as their favorite teen idols may seem frivolous, but it is no different than adults who strive to look like their favorite celebrities.

If we want to reverse the trend of eating disorders in children, it is important to recognize the effects of the media and peers on impressionable young people. They are still at a delicate stage in their development, and it is important to reinforce their worth beyond their looks and decry superficiality.

By Emile Jarreau

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Eating Disorders in Children

May 8th, 2012

Eating Disorders in Children

During a recent conversation with my 22-year-old daughter, she happened to mention that her friend Sandra suffered from bulimia. Frankly I was shocked! By all appearances Sandra seemed to have everything going for her. She was bright, extremely attractive and had just finished getting her university degree. After finishing up the phone call I started doing a bit more research on eating disorders in general and was horrified by what I found.

Recent studies have shown that that approximately 40% of 9 year olds in the US have already dieted and even more shocking, four and five year olds are feeling the need to diet. Whatever happened to kids just being kids? Why are young children feeling such pressure to be thin?

The family environment may be partially to blame. If one of the child’s parents are obsessed with their weight and appearance and constantly dieting and talking about how fat they are and how thin they would like to be, the child will receive the message that appearance is extremely important. Unfortunately there seems to be a bit of a double standard as boys are encouraged to clean their plate so they can grow up to be big and strong while girls are told to cut back on the sweets so you will have a nice figure when you grow up. There is a danger inherent in this approach, which could set up a child to develop an eating disorder. Children may also develop an eating disorder as a strategy to deal with the emotions that they are feeling, especially if they are raised in a home where showing emotion is frowned upon. Children who become compulsive eaters may be trying to use food as a panacea to help them deal with feelings of loneliness, anger, and sadness and abandonment. When a child is not able to express his or her emotions or if the parent is too involved to pay attention to their child, the child may turn to food to assuage their feelings of inadequacy.

Sadly the media and society in general also play a hand in this. Children are inundated on a daily basis with messages that being thin is necessary to be happy.

There are many things that you can do as a parent or caregiver if you are concerned that your child is using food for emotional reasons. It is important to find out how your child is feeling and what is making them turn to food for comfort. It is important never to criticize your child about their weight. Parents who put their children on a strict diet at a young age are setting them up to develop a serious eating disorder. This will not make your child lose weight, but will lead to feelings of self-loathing and cause the child to turn to food even more.

The most important thing that you can do as a parent is to set a good example. The following is a list will give you some simple but powerful ways to help your child so he or she does not develop an eating disorder.

  • Set a good example- Try to make most meals nutritionally sound.
  • Never force your child to clean his plate- Children naturally stop eating when full, by forcing your child to finish everything on his/her plate you are risking setting them up to have unsound feelings toward food.
  • Make exercise a priority- Help your children to find healthy activities that they enjoy, by making it a family affair and making it fun your child will develop a love for physical activity. It is important to instill in your child that exercise is to help develop a strong healthy body not to make them thin.
  • Teach your child its on the inside that counts the most- Show by example that people should be accepted for who they are, not what they look like on the outside.
  • Praise your children for their accomplishments not on their appearance- Instead of telling your daughter how pretty she is tell her how bright she is or what a good sense of humour she has etc. These are the praises that really count.
  • Show unconditional love-Show your child that no matter what they look like or what size they are that you love them. Give them your love and attention. Hug your children at every opportunity and tell them you love them. They can never hear it enough.

While the title of this article is Eating Disorders in Children, I chose not to go into detail about any specific disorder. If you are interested in more information about bulimia specifically, read a provocative interview that I had with Sandra, who is a recovering bulimic, at Child Eating Disorders – Bulimia Interview

By Monicka Gregory

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Understanding the Effects of Different Eating Disorders

May 7th, 2012

Understanding the Effects of Different Eating Disorders

Many people confuse eating disorders with strict dieting, but they are not the same thing at all. They are caused by mental and emotional problems and cause the sufferer to experience feelings of low self-worth, which will in turn effect their behaviour towards everyday life and their friends and family.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the primary disorders. The phrase itself means “a lack of desire to eat”. The sufferer of Anorexia nervosa believes themselves to be fat, no matter how thin they become. They become obsessed with counting calories and will adopt devious behaviour in order to skip meals and hide food. In common with all of these disorders, Anorexics suffer from low self esteem and tend to use the condition as a means of self punishment.

The next most common disorder is Bulimia nervosa, it has many similarities with Anorexia but in this condition sufferers do not avoid food, they eat and then they purge. Purging means deliberately eliminating the food from the body before it has had time to be digested properly by means of either laxatives or self induced vomiting. Bulimics weight gain tends to go from one extreme to another, which is commonly called yo-yo dieting.

Having an addiction to food is called Compulsive Eating Disorder. Again this is a similar condition to both Anorexia and Bulimia in that it affects self esteem in a very negative way but it is different in the respect that sufferers do not purge. Because they do not purge this means they keep all the calories they consume meaning they are usually vastly overweight. The more weight they gain the less likely it is they will have any kind of social life and indeed some find themselves confined to not only their home but their bed too, thus leading to further depressive feelings.

People who suffer from Compulsive Eating Disorder tend to eat obsessively until they are dangerously overweight. Conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are liable to be a cause for real concern amongst sufferers due to high cholesterol in their diets.

Binge Eating Disorder is another closely related illness with the sufferer showing the same symptoms of low self esteem as in all the previously mentioned disorders. Binge eating is most closely linked to Compulsive Eating Disorder and shares many of the same features except it is done with less frequency.

Binge eaters are exceptionally secretive and store food away purposely to eat when they can be by themselves. They will eat uncomfortable amounts to the point they feel sick but will not make themselves sick. The feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating such vast quantities of food are often used as self inflicted punishment as they consider themselves undeserving and unworthy.

By Eddie Lamb

 

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How to Identify Eating Disorders in Children and Teenagers

May 4th, 2012

How to Identify Eating Disorders in Children and Teenagers

Often the first professionals to come into contact with a person who has an eating disorder are GPs, teachers and school nurses. For these professionals, eating disorders can seem challenging and bewildering. They see people with anorexia and bulimia more rarely than people with other physical or psychological problems, so feel they lack confidence and understanding in this specialty. Equally, eating disorders typically involve high levels of shame and secrecy. This means that a person with an eating disorder may not present to a healthcare professional or teacher with recognised symptoms.

GPs are more likely to see a patient who has anorexia or bulimia for other psychological or physical symptoms. Common physical concerns include anxiety or depression, self-harm and inappropriate concerns about weight or body shape.

Physical problems include digestion problems, unexplained weight loss, the loss or very irregular periods. In children, the presentation may be with vomiting or poor growth. Sometimes, the consultation is not initiated by the patient themselves but by another member of the family such as a parent.

The first encounter with a patient who has an eating disorder can be difficult for both doctor and patient. The patient, particularly if they have anorexia, is likely to be very fearful of seeing the doctor in case she is made to eat. They are going to be feeling frightened and confused at what is happening to them. Building an understanding relationship with the patient is very important and you should try to take a calm and non-judgemental approach. It is very helpful if you can show an understanding of how trapped and confused the patient feels.

Patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder may feel more certain about changing but are often profoundly ashamed of their eating habits. They may be embarrassed to talk about their eating problems and worried that their problem will be dismissed as trivial.

Anorexia nervosa can occur in pre-pubertal children but is more common in those over the age of 12 than in younger children. The clinical features are similar to those in adults, with the exception that amenorrhoea of course does not occur in premenarcheal children and the absence of periods is an unreliable sign in younger adolescents. It is more likely that the request for help will come from parents (or sometimes teachers) than from the child. Common presenting features in younger patients include:

o Concerns about weight or failure to gain weight

o Delayed menarche

o Irregular food intake, conflict at meal times and concern about eating with others

o Preoccupation with food

o Excessive exercise

o Abdominal pain, gastrointestinal disturbance, headache

o Mood swings, depression, anxiety, self-harm

o Low self esteem

o Social withdrawal

o School refusal

o Anxieties about psychosexual development

In children, significant nutritional compromise can occur without weight loss and a static weight can indicate significant under-nutrition at a time of growth. BMI norms differ according to age and BMI centile charts should therefore be used to assess weight in those under sixteen. Children may decompensate physically more rapidly than adults and become dehydrated more easily. Urgent action is required if the child’s physical health is significantly compromised. Longer term medical complications include growth retardation, pubertal arrest and reduction in peak bone mass. Physical causes of weight loss should always be excluded in children and referral to a paediatrician may be required.

By Jenny Hudson

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How to Identify Eating Disorders in Children and Teenagers

May 2nd, 2012

How to Identify Eating Disorders in Children and Teenagers

Most of us are aware that eating disorders are becoming more prevalent but this trend would also seem to be increasing in children. These disorders can often be life threatening and even more so where children are involved.

Why the Increase in Eating Disorders in Children?

Just like adults, they are prone to the pressures of media stereotypes where being rake like is the norm and anything else is simply deemed over-weight. It would also seem that if a parent or an adult close to them has suffered an eating disorder then the child is more likely to contract the disorder as they strive to copy their role models. It is also the case that competitive aspects of life such as football, gymnastics dancing etc. can feed an eating disorder in children problem. We generally associate anorexia with girls but it is becoming more and more common to see this disease get a hold on boys.

These children do not want to stray from the so called “norm” and if they do, they have a feeling of being over-weight or fat which compounds the potential problems. It is also possible that some children or teens with anorexia may also try to hide their problem by binge eating with subsequent purging and this could develop into a bulimia condition. An eating disorder in children may be more likely to develop by those that have suffered abuse whether it was physical, mental or sexual. Whatever the reasons that this unwelcome trend has started to emerge, as responsible adults we must keep a close eye on any potential signs of an eating disorder in children developing so that early remedial action and medical advice can be sought.

Any expression from a child about the need to go on some sort of diet could be an early sign of a possible eating disorder problem but at the least, a valid reason for concern.

By Mark J Emslie

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