Explaining child disorders


Eating Disorder in Children

Eating disorders also called is Anorexiacycles) or delayed onset of puberty and
nervosa and Bulimia. Eating disorders ismenarche. Parents may first suspect a problem
important to recognize that each factor playswhen they discover large amounts of food are
a role in predisposing, precipitating, ormissing from the pantry or the refrigerator,
perpetuating the problem. Anorexia nervosathough it's hard to imagine one child could
compulsive eating are the most common amonghave eaten so much. Mothers with eating
such young children, but there are cases ofdisorders may have a difficult time feeding
bulimia being reported. It is usually beginstheir infants and young children and will
at the age of fourteen or fifteen, withfurther effect the child. Often the family
another peak in incidence in eighteen yearenvironment will be less cohesive, more
olds. It is estimated that 40% of nine yearconflicted, and less supportive. People with
olds have already dieted and we are beginningbulimia may be anywhere from underweight, to
to see four and five year olds expressing thenormal weight, to overweight. It is estimated
need to diet. It's a shame that children sothat as much as 3% of college-aged women have
young are being robbed of their childhoods.bulimia. Other signs found in teens with
Children raised in a dysfunctional family areeating disorders include having dry and
at a higher risk for developing an eatingbrittle hair, losing hair, and having muscle
disorder. In a home where physical or abusewasting.
is taking place, the child may turn to an
eating disorder to gain a sense of control.Treatment of eating disorders is slow and
Children may also develop eating disorders asdifficult (and sometimes requires
a way of dealing with the many emotions thathospitalization) and should be overseen by a
they feel, especially if they are raised in amental health. Exercise is also an important
home that does not allow feelings to bepart of everyone's life and we need to help
expressed. Children who are compulsive eatersour children become involved in physical
are usually using food to help them deal withactivity. Patients with anorexia also require
feelings of anger, sadness, hurt, loneliness,nutritional and medical intervention to make
abandonment, fear and pain. There are manydietary. Do not criticize your own or your
serious complications of anorexia, includingchild's weight, shape or size. Different
fainting from low blood pressure, electrolytetypes of therapy can help treat binge eating
disorders, being intolerant to cold,disorder. For example, family therapy and
constipation, decreased energy, changes incognitive behavioral therapy teach people
mood, anemia, kidney failure and osteoporosistechniques to monitor and change their eating
(brittle  bones).habits and the way they respond to stress.
Family therapy includes the whole family in
Eating disorders can cause heart and kidneythe process of helping the individual.
problems and even death. Genetic attributesCognitive-behavioral therapy combines the
and it is more common in children who have aapproach of helping the individual change
first-degree relative with an eatingtheir self-defeating thoughts with changing
disorder. Children are at a risk fortheir behavior. Counseling also helps
developing an eating disorder if the parentspatients look at relationships they have with
themselves are to preoccupied with appearanceothers and helps them work on areas that
and weight. Eating disorder risk factors iscause them anxiety. Weight-control programs
purging behaviors (vomiting or usingare helpful for some people affected by binge
diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to loseeating. The medical treatment of bulimia has
weight). Restrictive eating patterns, whichconcentrated on antidepressants ,
can lead to a failure to gain weight or toparticularly fluoxetine, which has been found
being underweight and can include skippingto decrease binge eating and vomiting for
meals, fasting, or eliminating entire foodabout two-thirds of bulimic patients.
groups. Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual



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