Child Health

Rise in Teenage Eating Disorders

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending that all adolescents and pre-teens be screened for eating disorders at their regular check-ups, given the increase in prevalence among these age groups. In fact, hospitalizations for eating disorders jumped by 119 percent between 1999 and 2006 for kids younger than 12 and severe cases of both anorexia and bulimia have risen, as has “partial syndrome” eating disorders (where some, but not all, of the symptoms occur).
While gender, body type, and weight can be indicators of an eating disorder, it is becoming more common for both boys and overweight children to succumb to an eating disorder. Therefore, when evaluating patients, pediatricians should not only track weight and height, but body mass index (BMI), menstrual cycles in girls, and be specific about questioning diet, eating patterns, and body image.
A report published in the December issue of Pediatrics, contains a review of more than 200 recent studies on eating disorders, conducted by Dr. David Rosen, a professor of pediatrics at University of Michigan, and his colleagues. Findings included the increasing incidence of eating disorders in boys and that .5 percent of adolescent girls have anorexia nervosa, and between 1 percent and 2 percent meet the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa.
People with anorexia have a distorted body image that causes them to see themselves as overweight even when they’re dangerously thin. Often refusing to eat, exercising compulsively, and developing unusual habits such as refusing to eat in front of others, they lose large amounts of weight and may even starve to death. Physical problems associated with anorexia nervosa include damage to the heart and other vital organs, low blood pressure, slowed heartbeat, constipation, abdominal pain, loss of muscle mass, hair loss, sensitivity to the cold, and fine body hair growth.
Individuals with bulimia eat to excess and then purge their bodies of the food and calories by using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics, vomiting and/ or exercising. Often acting in secrecy, they feel ashamed as they binge, yet relieved of tension and negative emotions once their stomachs are empty. Complications associated with bulimia nervosa include damage to the heart, kidneys, reproductive system, intestinal tract, esophagus, teeth, and mouth.
While eating disorders may start with preoccupations with food and weight, they are most often about much more than food. People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming.
While eating disorders in preteens and teenagers is cause for concern, proper treatment can lead to a full recovery and the odds of permanently changing eating habits and body image for the better has far more success in these age groups than they do in adults.  According to the report, “If followed out to more than 10 years, the majority of patients fully recover, and an even larger proportion have a behavioral cure (normal eating, normal weight, and resumption of menses)."
Choosing to eat a healthy diet is important for maintaining health and weight. Your guide to eating healthy and choosing the right diet can be found in the HealthNews diet pages.