In many cases, teenage eating disorders are extremely difficult for people to identify. Even close family members who see their children everyday may not have a clue that their child is suffering from a serious teen eating disorder. Moreover, many teens with eating disorders are very good at hiding their condition from friends and family, and many times they never find out about the condition until it is very serious or even life threatening.
Mental Warning Signs
Because it can be very difficult to identify if your teenager is suffering from an eating disorder, the best thing you can do is to play very close attention to your child’s eating habits and lookout for any key warning signs. Some of these signs may include:
- Extreme fear of weight gain
- Severe restriction in the amount and type of food being eaten
- Desire to eat alone
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Denial of bad eating habits
Physical Warning Signs
There are also a number of physical warning signs as well such as:
- Absence of menstrual cycle
- Dry or Brittle hair
- Tooth decay
- Decreased energy
- Marked weight loss
Because some of these warning signs may be easier to spot, it is your duty as a parent to stay vigilant and keep a close eye on your child if you suspect they might be suffering from an eating disorder.
Seeking Teen Eating Disorder Treatment
If your dealing with a teenager suffering from an eating disorder, yelling at your child to “Eat More!” or “Just Eat Properly!” probably won’t due the trick. This is because many times teenage eating disorders are stemming from serious underlying issues that need to be appropriately dealt with. Oftentimes, these underlying problems need to be dealt with at the family level with the aid of professional help. A professional therapist specializing in eating disorders can help to sit down with your child and work through their issues that may be causing their eating disorder. There are also professional eating disorder treatment centers that specialize in giving at risk teens the best professional help available.
