Eating Disorder 101: Do You Really Get It?

Here we are on the 4th day of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. I'm curious to know whether society (you) really "gets" the serious impact an  "eating disorder" can have on a growing child's life?

I've put those words in parenthesis because really it is just a catch-all phrase that has a variety of  meanings. It is typically thought that a person with an "eating disorder" is  simply a teenage girl who is struggling to attain some unrealistic body image
that she perhaps has seen portrayed in the media. But did you know that growing  boys are just as much at risk as girls? Did you know that an "eating disorder"  rarely starts out as a weight issue but becomes one for obvious reasons; you  gain weight when you binge eat. Much more likely is that an eating disorder  might begin to rear-it's-ugly-head during a particularly stressful  period of  time in a child's life. His/Her parents divorce, a relationship breakup, abuse,  bullying, worry over leaving home for college for the first time, a death in the  family or a whole host of other reasons! Yes, all kids have stress in their  lives and stress is something we all need to learn how to deal with in life.

But, if a child has that genetic pre-disposition towards addiction in his/her family whether it is a drug, alcohol or other addiction AND his/her stress is  intense enough it could potentially trigger a full blown food-addiction/eating  disorder very quickly. I cannot express strongly enough that an eating disorder  MUST be considered as serious and life threatening as any drug or alcohol  addiction. It does not take long for a child who is using food to comfort  themselves during times of difficulty to begin looking for ways to rid themselves of the resulting added weight. Sometimes extreme measures are taken  such as using laxatives, forced vomiting, excessive exercise or restricting food  nearly entirely. Thus, setting up a vicious cycle of binging and purging which  can lead to severe medical problems.

At my business, , our goal is to reach those kids (ages 12-25) BEFORE it  becomes an unfortunate way of life or an issue requiring medical treatment. We teach ways of coping with life's stressors on a one to one individualized basis. When a child is fully armed with the correct coping strategies that are tailored just for them, they are ready and able to handle the urges as they come along. By the time a child completes 3-5 one hour sessions their self confidence and self esteem has grown exponentially. Prevention is the greatest cure!
 
Tomorrow I will post the warning signs that can help parents tell  the difference between their teen’s “healthy appetite” and a problem with  binge eating.