A Look Into Teen Eating Disorders

There are more and more cases of teen eating disorders. During adolescence, teens become aware about the importance of looking good. They want to be like the many stars and celebrities that they worship. It is also the time when they begin to want to attract members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, teen eating disorders can be very dangerous, simply because these young patients are still in the growth phase. The impact of inadequate nutrition or undertaking certain destructive behaviors can have a harmful effect on their bodies.

There are many different reasons why teen eating disorders are becoming so common nowadays. Many parents blame media influences. They say that what the media portrays can have a vast impact of how teens perceive things. During adolescence, teens are at the stage of finding their own identities and asserting themselves. Feelings of inadequacy can very well result in trying to gain control over the weight or body, which can get a teen started on an eating disorder.

Teen eating disorders can be caused by wanting to take control. Being able to control their weight is a way of having more control of their life. This control issue turns into excessive focus upon their food intake and exercise level, however.

Two teen eating disorders are usually diagnosed. Each one of them is characterized by slightly different symptoms, but they still are a means of gaining control over their body and weight.

1. Anorexia nervosa refers to a condition of an excessive obsession with dieting and exercising to cause extreme weight loss. Aneroxic patients are clever at hiding about their weight loss from their parents. Some of the most common symptoms include skipping meals, finding excuses to eat alone, excessive exercise, wearing baggy clothing to hide weight loss, etc.

2. Bulimia is a condition whereby the patient goes through binges and then followed by purging to remove the food from their bodies. Purging can take on many forms. They include vomiting, enemas, taking laxatives, fasting, etc. Purging is done as the patient does not want his or her body to absorb the nutrients and gain weight. This eating disorder can cause many different symptoms, including visiting the bathroom after meals, using medications to control weight, withdrawal from friends and family, high consciousness concerning the body and weight, amongst others.

In the event if no treatment is sought, teen eating disorders can lead to death. Unfortunately, most teens would rather not let their parents or loved ones know about their eating behaviors. It is easy for them to get access to ideas about how to hide their condition from others, by going onto pro-Ana sites for instance. Hence, it is important that parents be aware about the difficult phase that their kids are going through and to look out for signs of teen eating disorders.