Did you know that According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders, as many as 10 percent of people who suffer from an eating disorder say that their disease first began at age 10 or younger?
Hollywood doesn’t help, either. Most celebrities are a size 0 or even a double 00. But anorexia is a very serious medical condition
How can you tell if your tween is anorexic?
The following are the most common symptoms of anorexia. However, each child may experience signs differently. Symptoms may include:
- low body weight (less than 85 percent of normal weight for height and age)
- intense fear of becoming obese, even as individual is losing weight
- distorted view of one’s body weight, size, or shape; sees self as too fat, even when very underweight; expresses feeling fat, even when very thin
- refuses to maintain minimum normal body weight
Anorexia, and the malnutrition that results, can adversely affect nearly every organ system in the body, increasing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Anorexia can be fatal.
But the good news is that Anorexia can be treated with a combination of individual therapy, family therapy, behavior modification, and nutritional rehabilitation.
Parents play a vital supportive role in any treatment process. If you suspect your child may be anorexic, consult your child’s physician for more information immediately.
To read more about anorexia, visit OHealthy.
Tags: anorexia, children, onslow memorial hospital, signs of anorexia, tweens
