Early Detection and Intervention for Childhood Eating Disorders: A Public Health Issue Underunderplayed and Unrecognized
The study highlights a serious public health issue that often goes under reported and unrecognized.
“Disordered eating is a significant problem among children and adolescents, and early detection and intervention are crucial to prevent long-term health consequence,” López-Gil said in an email.
Binging is one of the most common forms of eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association said that someone eats large amounts of food quickly and is often uncomfortable with it.
Likewise, the study may have been limited in its ability to portray the full scope because it relied on data in which kids and adolescents self-reported their behavior, said study author Dr. José Francisco López-Gil, a postdoctoral researcher at the Health and Social Research Center at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.
Lnez-Gil said that researchers next need to figure out what’s causing eating disorders. But in the meantime, experts hope that institutions and families will focus on identifying and helping kids who are showing signs of disordered eating.
Those kinds of behaviors are dangerous and can lead to severe medical complications to organs including the heart, brain, liver and kidneys, Nagata said.
“The findings can help health professionals, educators, and parents understand the magnitude of the problem and develop strategies for prevention and intervention.”
Understanding Eating Disorders and Implications for People with Ancestry and Anomalous Eating Habits: The Role of Dieticians, Doctors, and Dietitians
If a person uses diet pills or laxatives to lose weight, that’s a red flag.
People with inherited tendencies such as temperament and personality, social factors such as stigma, and stress are some of the factors that can lead to a person developing an eating disorder.
The best way to support an eating disorder or disordered eating will often include many people, such as providers for mental health, medical care and nutrition, he said.
And yet in a culture in which fat shaming and restrictive eating are prevalent, it can be easy for eating disorder behaviors to become normalized, said Jennifer Rollin, founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland.
But these conditions threaten both a joyful and healthy life, she added. Experts give advice on how to look for and treat eating disorders during Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
Eating disorders are more than just a mental health issue, according toLeah Graves, vice president of nutrition and culinary services for Accanto Health.
But just because people may have eating disorders in their family and might have inherited predispositions, it doesn’t mean they will develop a disorder, Graves said.
Some people believe that people with eating disorders can be fixed by changing their eating habits, but the problem is much deeper than that.
They are also not part of a trend or an attempt to lose a few pounds for a wedding or for Instagram photos, Murray added. Attempts to modify shape or weight linked with eating disorders are pervasive and repetitive and have a significant impact on a person’s life, he said.
Murray said that there are warning signs for this disorder such as an overestimation with weight, strict rules around food, and avoidance of social situations related with food and body.
According to the association bulimia nervosa is a condition in which people binge and then compensates themselves with vomiting or taking laxatives.
People with bulimia may use the restroom right after a meal if they are going to work out harder if they have a big meal. They may also use laxatives or diuretics, he added.
It sounds like what many of us do from time to time — especially around holidays or special occasions, Murray said. When it comes to eating, this disorder is characterized by a loss of control. It is shrouded in shame and secret.
Murray said that the disorder was characterized by avoiding groups of foods. He said that it is a bigger issue than being thought of aspicky eating.
It can cause problems with not having enough energy or nutrition and could lead to issues with growth, growth and growth, Rollin said.
Other specified food, feeding and eating disorders, or OSFED, is a diagnosis given when someone is experiencing a significant eating disorder, but the behavior may not align exactly with the diagnostic criteria of the conditions mentioned above, Smolar said.
There are terms that describe a fixation on eating in a way that the person determines to be healthy but is too rigid and can lead to stress if they have to stray from their plans.
Murray said that Muscle Dysmorphic disorder describes a pattern in which individuals restrict calories, follow rigid rules, and do strenuous exercise in the hopes of gaining a muscular body.
Telling a loved one about what you are doing, or can you tell a doctor about what to do about it? A comment on Graves
Graves said that if you see certain behaviors in your loved one, you should have a conversation to explain what they are.
Rollin said if you are concerned about your own behavior, you should seek professional help. She recommended that therapists who work with eating disorders make evaluations so they can recommend what other professionals to bring in.
The National Eating Disorders Association has a screening tool for people 13 and older that can help determine if it is time to seek help.