How Do You Know If Your Children Suffer From An Eating Disorder?
Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia are not only dangerous because of the severe effects they produce on both the body and general mental health; Furthermore, one of the factors that make them very harmful is that, in most cases, these psychopathologies appear during adolescence or in very young adults, at a stage of life in which the human being has fewer resources to care for. for their own well-being and to recognize problematic behavior patterns.
That is why it is very important that as parents we are able to detect the warning signs associated with Eating Disorders, so that the young person can have the support they need in the early stages of development. the disease, when it has not yet done almost all the damage it could do. So, in this article I will explain to you The key ideas to keep in mind to know if your children suffer from an eating disorder starting with understanding what this group of disorders consists of.
The main clue to understanding what eating disorders are, also called Eating Disorders, is in their name. In it we already sense that the core of the problem suffered by people with an eating disorder is in their diet, that is, a set of behavioral patterns. It is neither in the way in which the body digests food and metabolizes its components (since food is not the same as nutrition), nor in the way in which the subject perceives his or her body when looking in a mirror, although in many cases it also presents alterations in these aspects.
Therefore, the first step in knowing how to detect an eating disorder is to have a broad vision of the diversity of symptoms that are included within this concept. Although bulimia and anorexia are the most “famous” and popularly known eating disorders, not all of them are associated with this obsession with not eating calories, and not all of them have this obsession with not gaining weight. What they all have in common is that The person internalizes a series of behavior patterns that lead them to maintain a pathological relationship with food.
Therefore, within the TCA we find alterations such as:
Why do we have to quickly detect EDs in the parenting process?
Feeding is one of the fundamental biological processes in which practically all animals must be involved, and any psychological alteration with the capacity to give rise to problematic behaviors in this area can greatly wear down the person’s health, or even cause death. death in the medium and long term.
Although there are eating disorders that are more dangerous than others, it is crucial to react as soon as possible when detecting the first symptoms, especially at a stage of life in which the subject is less able to deal with potentially traumatic experiences or triggers of an otherwise harmful lifestyle. For example, it is known that young people who have developed an eating disorder are more likely to start self-harming or develop drug addiction.
The 8 keys to detect an eating disorder in your son or daughter
The diagnosis of an eating disorder is always made by a health professional, but it is usually parents who have easier access to those first warning signs that suggest the presence of an eating disorder in their son or daughter. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the key ideas to react quickly, as soon as the first symptoms of an eating disorder begin to appear in an adolescent. Remember that these are indicative ideas and that not all of these factors have to be met.
1. He maintains a love-hate relationship with the mirror
Although, as I have mentioned, not all eating disorders go hand in hand with excessive concern with body image, this phenomenon does occur in several of the most common ones. It is important to look at whether the young person has a certain ambivalence towards the idea of looking in the mirror: There are young people who avoid seeing their reflected image at all costs and, on other occasions, begin to look at themselves over and over again in it, coming and going from it throughout the day for no apparent reason.
2. He is interested in advance about the food that will be offered or to which he will have access
It is very common for people with an eating disorder to try to control their access to food, or how many times of the day they will be offered food on a plate. In the case of people with anorexia, this occurs because these experiences generate a lot of anxiety, as they feel pressured to eat when in reality they want to do the opposite.
3. He isolates himself emotionally
As you are focusing more on food and your image, you feel that your daughter or son communicates less and less emotionally with the family, does not express his emotions or they appear suddenly in a very intense way. This happens because although changes in diet are the most obvious symptoms, in reality the origin of the discomfort is emotional. For this reason, asking for help can be very difficult for people who suffer from it.
If the adolescent goes to the bathroom right after sitting down to eat, or during meals, and this is repeated almost systematically, it may be a sign that vomiting is being induced.
5. Rapid changes in your weight
Many people with eating disorders gain or lose weight significantly in a matter of a few weeks. This may be due to both their efforts to lose weight and the “rebound effect” caused by the frustration of not losing as much weight as they would like.
6. Food in the fridge or pantry disappears without explanation
In those eating disorders that lead to binge eating, as occurs with bulimia nervosa, foods that do not need to be prepared or cooked are usually used; especially those that are rich in sugars or carbohydrates.
7. Always wear baggy clothes
This is one of the common resources that people with an eating disorder have to hide their silhouette as much as possible.
8. He becomes obsessed with the bodies of influencers and celebrities
In many social networks, real subcultures of adolescents, especially girls, who try to look as similar as possible to celebrities of whom they are fans. In many cases, these young women even encourage each other to lose weight.
9. He is following a diet he does not talk about
On the one hand, people with an eating disorder based on restricting the amount of food and attempts to lose weight They usually try to keep their relationship with food discreet, trying not to “give clues.”. But on the other hand, as parents, it is not very difficult to realize that they are following a diet; for example, always using the same type of ingredients, which they repeat more than once a week.
