Childhood Eating Disorders
CaringOnline.com Provides Education on Childhood Eating Disorders
Barbie, the pretty little doll with the teeny-tiny waist, flawless features and perfect figure – the girl we love to hate but aspire to look like. How can anyone achieve such perfection? Eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia often result from young girls and boys starving themselves to achieve a warped sense of beauty. The National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders estimates that 11% of all high school students in the U.S. suffer from some form of eating disorder. Moreover, the number of pre-adolescent children with eating disorders has increased dramatically in the last decade. Caringonline.com is an informative online resource for learning about eating disorders, including information, warning signs and treatment options for sufferers of any age.
Besides the pressures of thinness in our culture, many kids, teens and young adults struggle with other equally difficult distresses such as low self-esteem, loneliness, helplessness, anxiety and depression. For children to grow up loving themselves and accepting their bodies, they must have the support to develop their self-esteem, focusing more on who they are than what they look like.
If you suspect your child or teen might be suffering from an eating disorder, here are a few common signs to look for:
- Dramatic weight loss (more than 25 percent of body weight)
- Refusal to eat out of fear of becoming fat
- Preoccupation with food
- Cutting food into tiny pieces and eating very slowly
- Obsession with calories
- Excessive exercising
- Running to the bathroom right after eating
- Binging and/or abusing laxatives and diet pills
If your child exhibits most of these signs, urge them to seek help as soon as possible. Anorexia and bulimia, besides causing excessive weight loss, can lead to severe health complications, hospitalization and even death. In fact, more than 20% of young people struggling with eating disorders die prematurely due to such complications.
Dr. Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, a mental health expert and founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, an eating disorder treatment center, has published numerous books on his whole-body approach to helping those with eating disorders, including the best-selling “Hope, Help, & Healing for Eating Disorders.” Dr. Jantz launched CaringOnline.com to help educate sufferers and their loved ones on the dangers of eating disorders.
To learn more about eating disorder symptoms and treatment options, please visit caringonline.com or call our toll-free help number at 1-888-771-5166.« Previous Article | Back To Articles | Next Article »
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