Unobvious manifestations of eating disorders in adolescents

Confusing anorexia, bulimia, or other similar disorders with the usual teenage aggressiveness and withdrawal is quite difficult. A person who has seen the manifestations of ED at least once in his life will immediately understand the difference. But for parents who are faced with this for the first time, it is quite difficult to navigate.

How to be? First of all, you should pay attention to the atmosphere at dinner. Is the child eating too much or frighteningly little? Did his eating habits begin to noticeably affect his health? Every meal is accompanied by a scandal, a fit of fear, tears, or a real explosion of aggression? In any of these cases, you should immediately contact a specialist to confirm or deny the presence of RPP.

It is important to consider that many symptoms of eating disorders are similar to the behavioral manifestations of adolescence:

• irritability;
• lethargy, apathy;
• causeless sadness;
• exaggerated reactions.

However, they point to eating disorders only if they are directly related to food, their own figure, and painful feelings about appearance.

Causes of eating disorder in adolescents

Transitional age is a period of life when a person becomes most vulnerable to eating disorders: his body is rapidly rebuilding, new criteria for self-esteem appear. A teenager begins to understand that in the adult world, external attractiveness is almost a guarantee of success. He compares himself to friends, models from glossy magazines and is acutely aware of his own physical imperfection. And given that all adolescents have increased anxiety, such emotional overload leads to the development of additional internal tension. And the only way to alleviate the condition is food.

From about 10-13 years old, children are especially susceptible to the assessments of others and are critical of their own attractiveness. If a child has formed a low self-esteem, then concern for appearance may come to the fore. As a result, he is at risk of developing an eating disorder.

How to prevent RPP

Eating disorders are a consequence of a psychological imbalance, so from childhood you need to instill the right attitude to food and a healthy perception of your own body. However, practice shows that neither the characteristics of education, nor the psychological climate can 100% protect against this disease. People come to the doctor with exactly the same symptoms, although situations in families are very different.

It can be concluded that there are no universal methods for preventing ED. You need to carefully monitor the behavior of the child and try to build the most trusting relationship with him. Then he will not be afraid to share his experiences or ask for help if he encounters a problem. This will allow parents to respond in time to changes in eating behavior and, at the first alarming symptoms, seek advice from a specialist.

What is the danger of eating disorder in adolescents

Let’s make a reservation right away – eating disorder is dangerous at any age, however, the body of a teenager reacts more quickly to fluctuations in diet and responds to them with more serious consequences:

• with anorexia – heart rhythm disturbances, pancreatitis, amenorrhea, enlarged salivary glands, malfunctions of all internal organs;
• with compulsive overeating – overweight and related diseases;
• with bulimia – erosion and ulcers of the stomach, ruptures of the esophagus, disorders of the pancreas, liver and intestines. If at the same time cleansing with laxatives is used, there is a decrease in the tone of the walls of the large intestine, and diuretics lead to a decrease in kidney function.

It is impossible to accurately determine the presence of RPP and prevent its devastating consequences without professional help. It is important not to self-medicate and not to wait for the problem to go away on its own. Only timely assistance from a specialist will restore the health of the patient.