- Teenagers with Eating Disorders
By: The American Academy
of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- No. 2; Updated July 2004
Overeating related to tension,
poor nutritional habits and food fads are relatively common eating
problems for youngsters. In addition, two psychiatric eating
disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are on the increase
among teenage girls and young women and often run in families.
In the United States, as many as 10 in 100 young women suffer
from an eating disorder. These two eating disorders also occur
in boys, but less often.
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Parents frequently ask how to
identify symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. These disorders
are characterized by a preoccupation with food and a distortion
of body image. Unfortunately, many teenagers hide these serious
and sometimes fatal disorders from their families and friends.
Symptoms and warning signs of
anorexia nervosa and bulimia include the following:
* A teenager with anorexia nervosa
is typically a perfectionist and a high achiever in school. At
the same time, she suffers from low self-esteem, irrationally
believing she is fat regardless of how thin she becomes. Desperately
needing a feeling of mastery over her life, the teenager with
anorexia nervosa experiences a sense of control only when she
says "no" to the normal food demands of her body. In
a relentless pursuit to be thin, the girl starves herself. This
often reaches the point of serious damage to the body, and in
a small number of cases may lead to death. |
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* The symptoms of bulimia are
usually different from those of anorexia nervosa. The patient
binges on huge quantities of high-caloric food and/or purges
her body of dreaded calories by self-induced vomiting and often
by using laxatives. These binges may alternate with severe diets,
resulting in dramatic weight fluctuations. Teenagers may try
to hide the signs of throwing up by running water while spending
long periods of time in the bathroom. The purging of bulimia
presents a serious threat to the patient's physical health, including
dehydration, hormonal imbalance, the depletion of important minerals,
and damage to vital organs.
With comprehensive treatment,
most teenagers can be relieved of the symptoms or helped to control
eating disorders. The child and adolescent psychiatrist is trained
to evaluate, diagnose, and treat these psychiatric disorders.
Treatment for eating disorders usually requires a team approach;
including individual therapy, family therapy, working with a
primary care physician, working with a nutritionist, and medication.
Many adolescents also suffer from other problems; including depression,
anxiety, and substance abuse. It is important to recognize and
get appropriate treatment for these problems as well.
Research shows that early identification
and treatment leads to more favorable outcomes. Parents who notice
symptoms of anorexia or bulimia in their teenagers should ask
their family physician or pediatrician for a referral to a child
and adolescent psychiatrist.
For additional information see
Facts for Families:
#4 The Depressed
Child
#79 Obesity in Children and Teens
#52 Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
#60 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
See Also: Your Child (1998 Harper Collins) / Your Adolescent
(1999 Harper Collins).
Copyright © 1997 by the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. |
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