Does Your Teen Have an Eating Disorder?
By Teresa Ambord
With all the recent news about overweight Americans, you might think eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are no longer much of a problem. But eight million people in the United States are still affected. Ninety percent are females. But males, especially teenage males are also susceptible, especially if they are involved in sports such as wrestling, where weight control is an important factor. In fact, most people with eating disorders developed these problems between ages 14-18.
Why Teenage?
People who develop eating disorders are often seeking to gain some power over their own lives. With all the bodily and emotional changes that occur during adolescence, teenagers may feel they are spinning out of control, and grasp onto the one area they feel they may be able to regain some control… their eating habits.
Some Common Warning Signs
Eating disorders can be extremely serious and require a doctor’s treatment. If you think you may have a loved one with an eating disorder, or even if you are worried about your own habits, ask yourself if you’ve noticed these signs:
People who are anorexic may:
- weigh twenty percent or more below normal
- have a tendency to drop out of social activities
- be obsessed with calories, fat grams
- have a possible obsession with exercise
- routinely deny being hungry
- call themselves fat when they are not
- take laxatives, water pills, and/or diuretics to control weight
- suffer from anxiety or depression
People who are bulimic may:
- eat a lot, yet be normal weight or have variable weight
- excuse themselves to the bathroom right after eating
- have a tendency to drop out of social activities
- be obsessed with calories, fat grams
- have a possible obsession with exercise
- take laxatives, water pills, and/or diuretics to control weight
- suffer from anxiety or depression
- Some bulimics binge, then fast to counteract the bingeing. They may also hide food for the next binge.
More serious signs of both anorexia and bulimia are harder to spot, since those affected are skilled at hiding their symptoms. These include:
- fainting
- lying about food intake
- for girls, irregular periods or no periods
- calluses on knuckles from forcing themselves to throw up
People affected by anorexia are subjecting themselves to heart problems, stomach problems, dry scaly skin, and the development of fine hair all over the body, including the face. The body slows down as if it is starving. The blood pressure, the pulse, and the breathing rates drop. The teen may become light-headed and unable to concentrate. Hair may fall out and fingernails may become brittle.
Bulimics may develop what is commonly referred to as “chipmunk cheeks”. This happens when the salivary glands become permanently expanded after constant vomiting.
In addition to the problems mentioned above, bulimics can also have stomach and heart problems, as well as kidney problems, and dental problems caused by the acid that results from throwing up, and dehydration from loss of water, also from throwing up.
Eating disorders need to be taken very seriously. A teen who is 15 percent or more below normal weight may not have enough body fat to protect vital organs. For young men involved in sports, they may lack the energy and nutrients to compete, leaving them more vulnerable to injuries.
If you suspect your teen has an eating disorder, don’t try to deal with or diagnose it alone. Consult a doctor right away. In extreme cases your doctor may want to hospitalize your teen in order to normalize the child’s weight. The doctor may also recommend counseling for you and your teen.
