Warning signs and Risks for eating disorders

We do not really know for sure what causes eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, but experts say there are warning signs and conditions that increase the chances of such problems. It is important to recognize the signs, because, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, the sooner an eating disorder is diagnosed and treated, the result is more likely to be.

Eating disorders may begin to worry about weight and appearance. Kerri Boutelle said: "Usually, children with eating disorders spend much of their day worrying about food, weight and size, while other children tend to be less obsessive ".

The risk of developing an eating disorder increases when adolescents are trying to lose weight in unhealthy ways. Experts agree that the most radical approach to weight loss, more likely it is that eating disorders will. Lucene Wisniewski, Ph.D., director of eating disorders at Laurelwood Hospital and counseling centers in Ohio said: "This is an extreme regime is the problem. I worry when I see children with idiosyncratic eating habits - for example, they decide to take whole food groups like dairy products. Either they have very rigid ideas about how the correct and proper way to eat, with a mindset that there are good and bad foods, and they never eat all the food on the bad food list . "

According to the National Association of eating, eating disorders "are usually much more than food. For some, dieting, bulimia and purging may begin as a way to deal with painful emotions and the feeling of control over his life."

NEDA also stresses that depression and anxiety can contribute to eating disorders.

According to the American Psychological Association, girls may be at increased risk for eating disorders if they have low self-esteem, have been physically or sexually abused, had sexual maturity at an early age, have difficulty face, and / or perfectionist. APA notes, "the daughters of women suffering from eating disorder are particularly at risk of developing eating disorders themselves."

Although there is no foolproof way to protect a form teenager developing an eating disorder, experts say that building self-esteem and strength to grow in the areas of life that have nothing to do with weight and appearance can be helpful. Similarly, parents and family members should avoid frequent talk about weight, diet, and appearance.