| Teenage eating disorders have become more | | | | 3) Be sensitive to their emotional and psychological |
| common in the last decade. More and more | | | | struggles. Eating disorders can be prompted by a |
| adolescent victims are suffering from bulimia and | | | | traumatic experience. Experts have revealed that |
| anorexia, two of the most common eating disorders | | | | some people who suffer from these disorders have |
| that afflict teenagers. Although boys can have these | | | | been abused as a child. Teenage girls and boys who |
| disorders, the majority of sufferers are teenage girls. | | | | have experienced failure and humiliation also |
| Statistics have shown than an estimated 10 percent | | | | sometimes turn to overeating or not eating at all as a |
| of the U.S. population suffers from one form of | | | | way of dealing with their emotions. |
| dysfunctional eating habits or another; and almost 95 | | | | 4) Provide a healthy family environment for your |
| percent are female, with majority aged between 10 | | | | child. Family problems cannot be avoided. If there are |
| and 20. For families who have adolescent kids | | | | significant changes within the family that can hurt |
| suffering from these disorders, here are the steps | | | | your adolescent, talk it out in the open and gently |
| that can be taken to address the problem before it | | | | prod them to express their feelings and to reveal |
| gets worse. | | | | what they think about the situation. However, avoid |
| 1) Seek the help of professionals. Treatment clinics | | | | being pushy since this is something that teenagers |
| and facilities for people suffering from eating | | | | dislike immensely. |
| problems can be found almost everywhere. These | | | | 5) Encourage their creative abilities. Letting teenagers |
| facilities offer services from psychological counseling | | | | engage in activities that they like and they excel at |
| to nutritional therapy to medical attention. | | | | can provide them with a sturdy emotional and |
| 2) Don't ignore the signs. If you think that your child | | | | psychological foundation. Encourage them to pursue |
| is just picky with his food, you might end up failing to | | | | their hobbies, as long as they will not cause harm, |
| address the condition at its onset, which would be | | | | and don't force them to live up to your personal |
| the best time to address the problem. Look for | | | | expectations of them. |
| symptoms, like being too conscious about body | | | | Teenage eating disorders are not just physical health |
| weight, obsession with counting calories and weighing | | | | problems, they are primarily psychological in nature |
| food, distorted perception about their bodies, | | | | and should be addressed by giving your adolescent all |
| uncontrolled eating/dieting, vomiting or purging and | | | | the love and support that he or she needs. |
| extreme mood swings. | | | | |