Eating Disorders and Our Children

In Canada, typically eating disorders occur between the age of 12-15, and of those children diagnosed, 12% to 30% are girls and 25% are boys. At the same time, 50% of those children diagnosed with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression. Eating disorders are characterized by an unhealthy relationship with food which negatively affects their daily functioning. The types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorders and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

The warning signs for parents that their children may have an eating disorder would be:

• Obviously sudden weight loss
• Restricting type and amount of food, like making excuses to skip meals
• New worries or rules around eating food, such as excessive chewing or rearranging food on the plate
• Excessive exercise to burn off calories quicker
• Eating food in secret
• Going to the bathroom after meals to vomit
• Obsession with weight loss and calorie counting
• Withdrawal from friends and hobbies
• Becoming more secretive and isolated
• Stomach cramps, constipation, heart burn
• Difficulty with concentration
• Dizziness or fainting
• Feeling cold all the time
• Difficulty sleeping
• Issues with teeth (from repeated vomiting)
• Dry skin, hair, brittle nails, fine hair on the body
• Getting sick more often as the immune system is weaker

If you are concerned that your child may have an eating disorder, the best treatment options always include counselling/psychotherapy/talk therapy with a therapist that specializes in children’s eating disorders, which may also include group therapy. This therapy will last months to years. A prescribing provider like a doctor or nurse practitioner may prescribe medications to treat binge eating, anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns your child may have. As a parent, make sure you learn as much as possible about the type of eating disorder with which your child is struggling. Tell them often how much they are loved, that you will always be there for them and that there is professional help available to them. Suggest activities that do not involve food and spend time together. The more you know, and the more your child feels supported, the best chances they have to overcome this disease.

 

Becky Morrison is a Nurse Practitioner based out of Calgary who has specialized in mental health for over a decade. She is finally, after years of infertility, a mother of two busy little boys, and doting fur mom of her gentle giant, Stella. She is, and always will be, a strong advocate for mental wellness at all ages.