Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Preventing Eating Disorders - Parenting Your Teenager

Anorexia and bulimia are fairly common in America. 2% of teenagers have anorexia. 10% of college students have bulimia. At any given time, 10 to 20% of the population is estimated to have an eating disorder.

The thin obsession of our fashion industry and popular culture encourages eating problems in our most vulnerable girls. 50% of teenage girls are on a diet.

Eating disorders are life threatening. They can cause dangerous weight loss, heart attacks, and ulceration of the esophagus. There are other negative health consequences that are equally serious.

These disorders are addictive disorders. The longer they go on, the more entrenched and difficult to treat they become. Because of this, early intervention is crucial.

What are parents to do? It is important for parents to educate themselves about anorexia and bulimia. Know what early symptoms look like. You can find lists of signs and symptoms at the Healing the Psyche Site.

Anorexia and bulimia have some symptoms in common, such as secretiveness and preoccupation with food. But each disorder has its own unique symptoms as well.

Do not deny the symptoms of an eating disorder, if you see them in your teenager. Talking to your teen may not be effective because of the extreme secretiveness and denial characteristic of these disorders. Take you teen for an assessment to a professional who specializes in working with adolescents and eating disorders; a psychotherapist (MFT, LCSW or PhD), a psychiatrist or a medical doctor. Special training and skills are needed to recognize these disorders and treat them.

Remember that early intervention is crucial. With effective treatment - counseling, nutritional work and psychiatric treatment - most eating disorders can be stopped.

You will find a wealth of information about community resources for the treatment of teen emotional problems on Healing the Psyche Site. Treatment centers, nutritionists, psychotherapists, medical doctors and psychiatrists all work with eating disorders. Usually a treatment team approach is the most effective.



Autor: Sandra Lessenden

Healing the Psyche is a great website that offers many parenting practical tips, such as school problems, eating disorders, parent-child communication, drug and alcohol prevention and general family management. The website is maintained by a Walnut Creek Marriage Family Therapist who specializes in family therapy and working with children in the schools.


Added: January 28, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Posted by admin at 11:02 AM

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