Could My Teen Have an Eating Disorder? 9 Signs Parents Should Look For
More than half a million American teens struggle with an eating disorder. While the most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia, there are several more eating disorders that impact teens as well. All eating disorders are extremely dangerous to a teen’s health, making them feel imprisoned in their own mind and consumed by their fear of gaining weight. However, most teens with eating disorders are eager to hide their symptoms and avoid receiving help.
So what are some warning signs of eating disorders that parents should look for?
1. Missing meals
If you notice your child has been turning down food or making excuses to get out of meals, they may be trying to lose weight by starving themselves. Conversely, eating unusually large amounts of food or hiding food to eat in secret can also be red flags. Leaving the table immediately after meals, especially to go to the bathroom, may be a sign that they are forcing themselves to throw up after eating.
2. Unusual eating habits
If your teen has an eating disorder, you may notice some bizarre behaviors surrounding food. They may have strict rituals such as measuring out precise quantities of food or chewing each bite a certain number of times. They may constantly count calories, fast for periods of time, or remove food items they’d normally eat, such as picking croutons off a salad.
3. Excessive exercise
While a healthy amount of exercise is great for anyone, teens with eating disorders often become addicted to exercise as a means to feel thin and relieve their anxiety over food. More than 1 hour per day of strenuous exercise is considered excessive for teens. If your teen overexerts themselves regularly or if their obsession with exercise is interfering with other areas of their life, they may have a problem.
4. Misusing medication
When people think of bulimia, they often think of people overeating and then forcing themselves to throw up. However, abusing medication is another way that many teens force food out of their bodies. If your teen is frequently using laxatives, enemas, diet pills, or diuretics, they may be struggling with bulimia. If your teen has diabetes and purposely underuses insulin to control their weight, they may have an eating disorder called diabulimia. If you suspect your teen is over or underusing medication, seek help right away.
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5. Being body-negative
Teens with eating disorders struggle with low self-esteem and have an intense fear of being fat. This fear results in them frequently looking in the mirror to point out their flaws. They’ll also negatively compare themselves to peers or celebrities often. These teens usually have a distorted body image, viewing themselves as being much heavier or unattractive than others see them.
6. Having risk factors
While it’s possible for any teen to develop an eating disorder, there are certain factors that can put your teen at heightened risk, including:
A family history of eating disorders
Alcoholism in the family
Involvement in high-pressure activities such as wrestling, ballet, or modeling
Having a perfectionistic personality
Having experienced physical or sexual abuse
It’s also important to note that although many people think of eating disorders as a girls’ issue, boys are also at significant risk. 1 in 4 pre-teens with anorexia is a boy, and binge-eating disorder is just as common among boys as girls.
7. Physical changes
If your teen has an eating disorder, there are a variety of physical changes that may result from malnutrition or forcing themselves to purge. Brittle hair and nails, tooth decay, acid reflux, irregular periods, sleep problems, constantly feeling cold, dry or yellowish skin, muscle weakness, constipation, lethargy, dizziness, stomach cramps, and large fluctuations in weight are all potential signs of an eating disorder impacting their physical health.
8. Social withdrawal
When your teen is obsessed with focusing on their body, there’s little time left to enjoy life’s pleasures. Your teen may seem depressed, moody, or irritable. They may show little interest in hanging out with friends or participating in activities they used to enjoy. They may cancel plans often and want to be alone, thinking they don’t look good enough or thin enough to be in the presence of others.
9. Resisting help
It can be hard for parents to accept that their teen may have an eating disorder, especially if their teen denies it and refuses to take any help. But it’s critical to realize that eating disorders can be life-threatening if left untreated. If you suspect your teen may have an eating disorder, a specialist can support them on a path to recovery. Our specialists are experienced with helping teens overcome a variety of eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, diabulimia, pica, body dysmorphic disorder, and binge-eating disorders.
So you know you need help, but aren’t sure how to find the right help?
Picking a therapist or type of therapy can be confusing, and “trial and error” with the wrong therapist can cause many families to feel overwhelmed and give up on seeking help.
Our Diagnosticians can provide psychological testing to remove the guess-work and guide you on your best path toward mental wellness.
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References:
Eating Disorders (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml
Eating Disorders in Men and Boys (n.d.) National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/research-on-males
Eating Disorders: What Families Need to Know (2010). University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/eatdis.htm
For Parents: Eating Disorders in Teens (2018). American Academy of Family Physicians. Retrieved from https://familydoctor.org/for-parents-eating-disorders-in-teens/
General Statistics. (n.d.) National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/general-statistics
Is Your Teen at Risk for Developing an Eating Disorder? (2015). American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org/english/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/pages/is-your-teen-at-risk-for-developing-an-eating-disorder.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAjw3azoBRAXEiwA-_64OpL5_noPWwO89ZQ5d2QNblv2p2Z_db3nXC8pXgt_pJXLpyoSMAfZWhoCVIcQAvD_BwE
Teen Eating Disorders: Tips to Protect Your Teen (2018). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teen-eating-disorders/art-20044635
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Top Tips for Feeling Free in Your Own Skin:A Woman’s Guide to Summer Body Image. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/top-tips-for-feeling-free-in-your-own-skin
Shinn. M.M. (2018). 10 Ways to Connect with Your Grumpy Teenager Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/10-ways-to-connect-with-your-grumpy-teenager
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How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Could My Teen Have an Eating Disorder? 9 Signs Parents Should Look For. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/test-blog/could-my-teen-have-an-eating-disorder-9-signs-parents-should-look-for