5 Signs That Your Child May Have an Eating Disorder

With each and every year that passes it seems to get harder and harder for parents to protect their children from the evils of the world. It's hard enough to help keep them young and innocent and away from things such as sex, alcohol, and drugs but even if you are successful in doing that there are still dangers lurking and some have multi-billion-dollar campaigns encouraging them.

I guess to say encouraging is a bit harsh but I'm talking about the media's portrayal of thinness as beauty in the world of entertainment. This focus on women being incredibly skinny in order to be rich and famous leaves many women each and every year to developing an eating disorder. Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes from extremely mild changes in eating habits to extreme tactics to avoid weight gain of any kind. It is important that parents are aware of some of the signs that can be exhibited by those suffering from eating disorders. Below are five signs that your child may have an eating disorder.

1. They talk about their weight constantly - if your child starts to obsess about their weight and begins talking about it constantly, this could be a sign that they either have or are beginning to start the habits that can lead to an eating disorder. Sometimes, these feelings of inadequacy about the way one looks are simply symptoms of a certain age and a phase they will go through, but it is important to pick up on these cues and keep an eye on your child so that they don't become obsessed with their weight.

2. They often avoid meal times completely - another sign that an eating disorder may be lurking in your child is if they begin to avoid meals completely. If you are a household that has always encouraged the family to eat together and your child begins to find excuses to miss those meal times, this can be a sign of an eating disorder.

3. Food starts to go missing in the household - because certain eating disorders result in people gorging themselves on large quantities of food, you should pay close attention if you start to notice foods missing from your household. For instance, a brand-new jar of peanut butter is completely emptied the next day. Bags of potato chips and bread suddenly get consumed within a 24 to 48 hour period. Make sure to make note of these incidences and watch your child carefully.

4. Drastic increase in exercise - another common sign of an eating disorder in your child is if they begin obsessing about exercise. Someone who goes from moderate exercise to an almost fanatical level may be suffering from an eating disorder and trying to lose weight through exercise as well.

5. Noticeable weight loss – obviously, any drastic change in weight could be a sure sign that your child has an eating disorder. If your child begins to lose weight to an unhealthy level, it is your duty as a parent to seek medical attention immediately.

The above are just five of the many signs that may exist if your child has an eating disorder. If you notice these or any other unusual patterns in your child's eating or exercise program, make sure to seek help from a qualified professional so that you know best how to deal with the situation and you don't confront your child using strong emotion. This can often push them away from you and merely exacerbate the problem.