Eating disorders in teenage girls – what you need to know

Eating disorders in teenage girls – what you need to know

Eating disorders among teenage girls have been a problem for decades. It is well documented that adolescent boys also suffer from it, but it usually begins in girls during their prepubescent life and can be much more serious. Part of the blame for eating disorders can be attributed to factors such as family lifestyle, television and celebrity magazines, etc.

~ Eating Disorders in Teenage Girls ~

Yes, it is true to say that these situations can influence eating disorders, although the core of the disease lies deep within the person it affects. The majority of boys and girls affected are likely to be dissatisfied with both their performance in life and themselves in general. However, for girls, certain things such as lack of attention from boys, lack of success in gymnastics or cheerleading can lead to an eating disorder. Also because of the pressure to be thin in modern life, some girls believe that you can only be beautiful if you are thin.

What they don't understand is that there are some girls who are naturally skinny because they are an ectomorph body type (thin bone structure with a super fast metabolism). This can result in an anorexic girl who goes on what she thinks is a very strict diet. Generally, this means reducing calories to ridiculously low and unhealthy levels.

On average, a girl should consume around 1500 calories every day to stay healthy. Unfortunately, an anorexic person is willing to consume only a few 100 to even less than 100 calories per day. A bulimic person will generally try to restrict their diet. If the person with bulimia feels like they have eaten too much, they will either vomit themselves or take excessive amounts of laxatives.

This can then lead to a persistent pattern of binge eating and purging.

~ What can parents do? ~

There are ways to prevent your teen from becoming susceptible to these illnesses.

It is a good practice to allow your teenager to go on a diet, but you must personally monitor this eating plan with her. As soon as you get the signs that you are worried about your weight, sit down and work out an exercise and nutrition plan together. Communication and nutritional knowledge are really key for eating disorders in girls, so work hard on both of these issues. Help by also buying healthier foods such as salads, fruits and raw vegetables.

An important point is to show your teen that it really is OK to eat, it's just the type of food they should be careful with. Please understand that this is indeed a mental illness. So punishing or grounding your teen for having an eating disorder will only make things worse.

Feeling helpless is normal as a parent, but you must understand that this illness needs to be treated as soon as possible as it massively affects adolescent health.

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