Unfortunately, in our society, the unusual eating habits of teenagers and adolescents are not taken very seriously. Parents initially feel happy if their child’s food intake is suddenly increasing. Parents usually think it is healthy for their children to eat huge amounts of food. Or if the adolescent is suddenly taking care of themselves in terms of going to the gym or starting some new diet plan, parents initially feel happy that their child is thinking about themselves. But the problem arises when these habits become their obsession and start affecting their physical and mental health and daily functioning of life.
Another misconception about eating disorders is that if you have anorexia, just eat more and gain weight and if you have bulimia or binge eating disorder, just eat less and lose weight and all things get in place. But unfortunately, life is not so simple. Eating disorders are very deep-rooted, and these eating habits will control you so badly that it will make you powerless.
Symptoms of Common Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is characterized by extreme dissatisfaction with one’s body, fear of gaining weight, and the fixation with being thinner. The desire to be thin isn’t always motivated by unattainable beauty standards; it can also stem from a need to control, and often this impulse occurs in high-achievers or people who feel a compulsive pressure to be ‘perfect’.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is also known as binging and purging disorder. Bulimia is an illness in which the person binge eats and then purges, most often through self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives or diuretics. Purging is not always used as a compensatory behavior; rather, a person can exercise a lot to reduce the intensity of guilt. Binge eating is triggered by stress, negative mood, or hunger due to excessive exercise between the episodes of binge eating.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is characterized by binge eating large amounts of food in short periods of time on a regular basis and without purging afterward. People who binge eat might feel a lack of control over their eating, often eating rapidly, alone, and until they are uncomfortably full. They often feel guilty and depressed after overeating but don’t go for compensatory behavior.
Causes of Eating Disorders
- Anorexia: Anxiety, OCD tendency, over-achiever mentality, occupation requirements (e.g., model or actress).
- Bulimia: Low self-esteem, impulsivity, competitive environment, occupation focusing on weight (e.g., athlete), anxiety, or PTSD.
- Binge Eating Disorder: Stress, trauma (e.g., bullying), depression, loneliness.
Role of Parents in Causing Eating Disorders
According to Bruch, ineffective parents fail to attend their children’s needs, deciding that their children are hungry, cold, or tired without correctly interpreting their children’s actual condition. They may feed their children at times of anxiety rather than hunger. Children with such parenting may grow up confused and unaware of their internal needs, not knowing for themselves when they are hungry or full and unable to identify their own emotions.
Clinicians observed that authoritative parents control their children so much that they feel helpless and powerless. Such children want to be independent but when they are unable to do so, to overcome their helplessness, they seek excessive control over their body size, shape, and eating habits.
Early Intervention of Eating Disorders
Mental health professionals should arrange seminars for students and others to spread awareness about the symptoms, causes, and consequences of eating disorders.
- Identify emerging symptoms and take them seriously.
- Provide training to health professionals to spot the early signs of eating disorders.
- Encourage early referrals to specialists for assessment.
Parental Support and Guidance
Some tips for parents to help their children include:
- Avoid talking about appearance, diets, or weight problems.
- Encourage healthy hobbies and balanced activities.
- Seek professional help, like a psychotherapist, to treat eating disorders effectively.