Anorexia and Bulimia
We know that we live in a food and weight obsessed culture. Models who are too skinny, girls who want to keep up with their favorite celebrity and boys who have to drastically lose or gain weight for the sport they are playing.
More then half of American teenage girls and nearly a third of boys use unhealthy ways to control their weight. Here are some warning signs of anorexia and bulemia to make sure your tween or teenager is as safe or healthy as you think they are:
-obessesion with weighing themselves, always is on the scale
-preoccupation with caloric content and counting fat grams
-eating alone or avoiding eating at all
-thinking they are “fat” and has low self esteem
-use of laxatives or diuretics
-binge eating or purging
-dramatic weight loss
Although the onset of anorexia and bulimia is believed to be between the ages of 11-13 in girls, experts say it could take place as early as middle school.
It is important to remember that anorexia and bulimia are psychiatric illnesses and one with the highest death rate.
anorexia, bulimia, teens, teenagers, tweens, parenting, food obsession,
February 6th, 2007 at 2:08 am
hey erinn, i’m a guy fighting with an ED too, it really sucks at times.
i’m kinda lost, wanting to be anorexic again (i tipped over into bulimia), which just seems to be peace, nirvana, compared to the chaos of purging.
good luck to everyone recovering out there!
February 6th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Ryan, I hope that you are getting help. I kow it is a life long struggle but there are many support groups, therapists and clinics that can help.
February 7th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Eating disorders are terrible, and I don’t know what parents can really do for their children on the matter. Obviously instilling a healthy attitude to food at a young age would stand them in good stead throughout the difficult adolescent years.
Good luck to all ED sufferers out there.
February 7th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
I just got back from taking a couple dozen teens to a youth conference called Winterfest. The two biggest problems among the girls in the youth group are EDs and cutting. I’m wondering if there’s a connection…