Teenage Eating Disorders - Do You Know The Signs?

Unfortunately, today’s society puts much emphasis on physical appearance and teenagers are probably the most susceptible to the thought that everyone has to be skinny to be pretty and accepted. We, as parents, know this is not true and it’s what’s on the inside that matters most. Regardless of the amount of time and care we put into getting them to see otherwise, many teens just don’t believe this is true.

As the parent of a teenager there are many negative things that you need to be aware of and look out for in order to help your child as quickly as possible, should they get mixed up in these harmful situations. One of those is eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

If you sense your teen has a problem, but can’t put your finger on what exactly is wrong, here are a few warning signs that you might have an eating disorder on your hands. The sooner you respond to these signs the sooner your teen can start the journey to being healthy again.

Signs your teen may be suffering from Anorexia

Starvation
Fear of gaining weight that is severe and persistent
Refusing to eat or extremely restricted eating
Continual and obsessive dieting
Excessive body hair due to the lack of protein
Obsessively exercising
Weight loss that is out of the ordinary
More than normal sensitivity to cold temperatures
Absent or irregular menstruation in girls
Hair loss

Signs your teen may be suffering from Bulimia

Fixation with food
Binge eating (you may not see this due to the secrecy that normally occurs)
Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after eating
Abusing laxatives, diet pills or both
Denying that they are hungry
Using medicines to induce vomiting
Obsessive exercising
Salivary glands which appear swollen
Blood vessels around the eyes that appear busted or broken

Although the majority of cases reported are females, males suffer from eating disorders as well. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, nearly 1 million men suffer from an eating disorder. In reality, the true number is probably higher.

Teens do not see it as a disorder nor do they want to gain the weight necessary to become healthy if they stop. In most cases, if your teen has an eating disorder, they will not admit it willingly. To them, they are never skinny enough. That does not mean an illness doesn’t exist. If you suspect your teen may have an eating disorder, contact help immediately. It might just save his/her life.

About the author :

Aurelia Williams - Need more free information on parenting teenagers? Parenting My Teen Podcast discusses this and other teen issues parents face. You can also pick up the Parenting My Teen Oath while you're there.http://www.parentingmyteen.com/