| The astronomic rise in the number of children | | | | of eating disorders in children. Children often see |
| suffering from eating disorders is very disturbing. | | | | their parents as their idols, their heroes, their role |
| According to recent studies, approximately 40% | | | | models. So what would the children think if their |
| of today's children aged nine have already tried | | | | parents are preoccupied with their own bodies |
| dieting to various extents. If you find this | | | | and their weights? When the parents express |
| disquieting enough, what would you feel if I told | | | | apparent dislike towards their bodies, the children |
| you that researchers also found out that there is | | | | will perceive that weight and appearance are very |
| a rising trend of children ranging from four to five | | | | important. |
| years old expressing their need to diet? Why are | | | | In some cases, the parents might mistakenly take |
| our children feeling this way? Why do they | | | | baby fat as actual fat and force a child to diet. |
| express the need to diet? What are we doing | | | | This can be a form of robbing a child of his or her |
| wrong? | | | | childhood and can be considered an extremely |
| Research has pointed out several factors, which | | | | cruel act. |
| may have contributed to this ever-increasing | | | | In other families, a double standard is imposed |
| trend of eating disorders in children. Among those | | | | allowing boys to eat to their hearts' content while |
| worthy of mention are emotional or psychological | | | | limiting the food intake of girls. This is so that |
| trauma, family and the media. | | | | boys can have well-built and muscular bodies (a |
| Events that result in emotional or psychological | | | | must for the macho society) while the girls |
| trauma predispose a child to develop eating | | | | maintain a slender figure (again a dictate of the |
| disorders. It was noted that children who were | | | | society). Most mothers even take a step further |
| brought up in dysfunctional families were more | | | | and lecture their daughters how important it is to |
| prone to acquire the disease than those children | | | | have a thin figure for them to find happiness and |
| raised in loving environments were. This is also | | | | a man that will love them when they grow up. |
| true in cases where children are raised in | | | | The media also helps spread the notion that being |
| environments where feelings are not allowed to | | | | thin is a central factor for success and happiness. |
| be expressed. In both settings, children's emotions | | | | Along with promoting the newest in kids' fashion |
| are bottled up prompting them to turn to food | | | | comes the media's endorsement of the "ideal |
| for comfort or to help them deal with what they | | | | figure". Media makes the kids want to wear the |
| are feeling. They might latch on to food and | | | | newest designer clothes, be adorned with the |
| eating to release their pent up anger, frustration, | | | | latest accessories and look "perfect" wearing |
| sadness, hurt, fear, feeling of abandonment and | | | | them. As a result, the children strive to achieve |
| pain. | | | | the society's idea of a "perfect figure" and this |
| Children who were victims of emotional or | | | | sets the stage for the development of the |
| physical abuse are also at high risk of developing | | | | disease. |
| the disease. They might try to relieve their | | | | Eating disorders can be very disastrous, even |
| feelings and try to gain control of an otherwise | | | | more so for the young bodies of our children. Let |
| unmanageable situation by resorting to food and | | | | us not push them towards the hands of these |
| controlling their eating habits. They might try to | | | | harmful evil. Let us teach our children to accept |
| avoid food in an effort to control their weight so | | | | and love themselves by loving them |
| that they might "disappear" and not go through | | | | unconditionally, whatever size or shape they might |
| the abuse anymore. | | | | be. |
| Family also plays a crucial role in the development | | | | |