Is My Child has eating disorder

Eating disorders can affect both children and teens and can devastate their mental and physical health—and in extreme cases, even be deadly.

Eating disorders do not just affect teen girls. These disorders can be prevalent in both boys and girls, starting before puberty and ending into adulthood. Awareness of the signs of eating disorders is essential because early detection and treatment can lead to better outcomes.

There are many types of eating disorders, but the most prevalent among children and teens are:

• Binge Eating Disorder: the person frequently consumes large amounts of food and cannot stop eating, even when uncomfortably full.
• Anorexia Nervosa: the person obsesses over losing weight and restricting food intake.
• Bulimia Nervosa: the person obsesses over losing weight and will have bouts of extreme eating followed by self-induced vomiting, purging or fasting.

The Risks

Eating disorders can have severe consequences for your child’s physical health. It also is typically coupled with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

A child or teen with anorexia can develop severe nutritional deficiencies and, in extreme cases, can die from the powerful effects of starvation.

Kids and teens with bulimia who binge and purge can, over time, harm their vital organs, including their liver, kidney, heart, and intestines. They are at an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm and going into cardiac arrest.

Binge eating can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and other detrimental long-term health disorders.

Clues that Your Child Has an Eating Disorder

Your child will exhibit different signs depending on the disorder. Remember that your child can become very good at hiding their eating disorder and may go to great lengths to continue the behaviour. Here are some signs to watch for:

Emotional Signs

• Depression, anxiety, mood changes, or suicidal thoughts or actions
• Becoming withdrawn or isolated and spending less time with friends or family
• Obsession with being perfect
• Anxiety about eating, and preoccupation about what, how, or where they eat
• Obsession with their weight, or appearance—often with a distorted sense of their body image (for example: calling themselves fat when they are not)

Behavioural Signs

• Having an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Spending excessive amounts of time planning their meals, or expressing frustration when their food practices are interrupted
• Spending much time in the bathroom, where they run the faucet or shower to hide the sound of vomiting
• Stealing and hiding food
• Participation in sports or activities focusing on body weight and image, sometimes encouraging drastic weight-loss regimens. The most common would be ballet, gymnastics, modelling, wrestling and boxing.

Physical Signs

• Dramatic fluctuations in weight
• Digestive issues, like constipation, bloating, gas pains or cramps
• Dental issues like cavities, bleeding gums, and eroded teeth enamel
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Complaints about muscles, such as being sore, cramps, or weakness
• Lower body temperature, where the skin is cool to the touch and/or your child complains of being cold
• Hands and feet appear purple and feel cold
• Face and body may have an orange tint to it
• In girls, irregular menstruation or missed periods

When to Seek Help?

If you suspect your child has an eating disorder or someone else brings it to your attention, it is best to contact your paediatrician immediately and seek professional intervention.