How to handle disordered eating in teens
JESSICA: — MARIA: EATING DISORDERS AFFECTING NEARLY ONE IN 10 PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. HERE TO SHARE WARNING SIGNS IN YOUNGER CHILDREN IS DR. ERICA LEE, A PSYCHOLOGIST AT BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. NICE TO SEE YOU. ED: DR. LEE, GREAT TO SEE YOU. AS YOU KNOW, THE STEREOTYPE OF SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER IS A WHITE, WELCOME TEENAGER, BUT WHAT IS THE REALITY? Dr. LEE: IT’S A GREAT QUESTION. WE KNOW GIRLS ARE AT HIGHER RISK, BUT IN FACT, INDIVIDUALS OF ANY GENDER, RACE OR SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND CAN DEVELOP AN EATING DISORDER AND WE THINK GUYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNDERDIAGNOSED BECAUSE MANY OF THEY THINK THEY CAN’T DEVELOP ANYTHING BUT DO NOT RESEARCH FOR IT THAT 25% OF THOSE WITH ANOREXIA ARE MALE. WHEN PEOPLE IMAGINE SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER UNDERWEIGHT, THERE ARE PERSONS WITH EATING DISORDERS WHO MAY BE OVERWEIGHT OR EVEN OVERWHITE — OVERWEIGHT. MARIA: THE NATIONAL EATING DISORDER ASSOCIATION SAYS CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FIVE OR SIX HAVE SEEN AN EATING DISORDER. WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT RISK FACTORS? Dr. LEE: WHAT IT REALLY STRESSES TO US IS THAT THE MESSAGES WE GIVE TO CHILDREN ABOUT NUTRITION, BODY IMAGE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ATTRACTIVE, THESE THINGS MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG. CHILDREN ARE SMART AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BUILT INTO A CULTURE THAT IDEALIZES THINNESS AND THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT ISSUES LIKE THEIR WEIGHT OR BODY IMAGE WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG WILL CONTINUE WORRYING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND OTHER RISKS FACTORS THINKING IN YOU ARE THINGS LIKE GETTING BULLYED OR PULLED ABOUT WEIGHT WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG. BEN: MANY PARENTS MAY THINK, MY CHILD IS JUST A FICKY EATER OR IT’S JUST A PHASE THEY GOING THROUGH. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS IT MAY BE SOMETHING SERIOUS? Dr. LEE: ALMOST EVERYONE KNOWS ONE CHILD WHO IS A FICKY EATER, BUT WITH AN EVENING DISTURB IT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THEY ARE CHILDREN WHO BEGIN TO FORGET ABOUT WEIGHT OR BODY IMAGE OR A DISTORTED SENSATION OF WHAT THEIR BODY LOOKS LIKE. SOMETIMES CHILDREN OR TEENAGERS MAKE REALLY STRICT RULES FOR THEIR DIET LIKE THE CATEGORIES OF FOOD THEY CAN HAVE. AND IF THEY DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES, THEY START TO GET REALLY upset. ANOTHER SET OF RED FLAGS ARE CHILDREN WHO INTENDEDLY DO THINGS TO CHANGE THEIR BODY SHAPE OR WEIGHT. OVERTRAINING, LIMITING WHAT THEY NEED, USING LAXATIVES. MARIA: LET’S TALK ABOUT GETTING HELP. WHERE SHOULD PARENTS START? Dr. LEE: IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S BODY IMAGE AND WHAT THEY SAY, talk to them in a calm and supportive way. AS REGARDS PEOPLE TO TALK, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK TO A PEDIATRICIAN. SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOUR CHILD WELL. YOU MAY ALSO THINK TO TALK TO THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR. THE NATIONAL EATING DISORDER ASSOCIATION HAS RESOURCES. A TEXT AND CALL HELPLINE FOR ACCESSING RESOURCES WITH A BEAUTIFUL SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR TEENAGERS 13 AND UP. ED
How to handle disordered eating in teens
Updated: 5:38 PM EST February 27, 2023
Erica Lee, a psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, talks about how to manage eating disorders in teens.
Erica Lee, a psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, talks about how to manage eating disorders in teens.