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Sharing meals provides an opportunity to educate your child on the dangers of dieting. (Photo: Freepik)
Eating disorders are quite common, with several factors influencing them. But, contrary to what most people believe about eating disorders affecting only adults, there are many that afflict children, too. According to Inshara Mahedvi, consultant-dietician Motherhood Hospital, Lullanagar, Pune, eating disorders are 'serious behavioural conditions' that involve a disturbance in eating patterns and emotional distress. These disorders stem from unhealthy relationships with food. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may signal an eating disorder. Common disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. In this article, Mahedvi sheds light on some eating disorders that are seen in children, their types, symptoms, and strategies with which to deal with them. Read on.
It involves extreme weight loss through excessive dieting and exercise, leading to a distorted body image where individuals see themselves as overweight despite being underweight. According to the expert, those affected by anorexia are at risk of complications due to starvation. Symptoms include severe food restriction, excessive exercise, fear of weight gain, and denial of the seriousness of low body weight.
The dietician said this condition typically emerges in childhood, and is characterised by severe food avoidance or restriction. Individuals with ARFID may limit their food intake due to factors like texture or smell. Common symptoms include decreased appetite, significant weight loss, and gastrointestinal issues without a clear cause. "ARFID may manifest as a narrow range of preferred foods that progressively diminishes over time," she warned.
It involves 'cycles of excessive eating followed by purging behaviours to compensate for the overconsumption'. Bulimia nervosa is often accompanied by feelings of loss of control around food. Physical symptoms may include chronic throat inflammation, dental erosion from stomach acid exposure during vomiting, acid reflux, intestinal complications from laxative abuse, severe dehydration from purging, and electrolyte imbalances that can lead to serious health issues like a stroke or heart attack, the expert warned.
It involves frequent episodes of overeating with a lack of control over eating habits. It manifests as consuming large amounts of food rapidly within a short period, eating even when not hungry, continuing to eat past the point of fullness, and indulging in solitary or secretive eating to avoid judgment. "Individuals may feel distressed, ashamed, or guilty about their eating patterns, and may engage in frequent dieting without achieving weight loss."
Parents need to be mindful of certain things; here are some important points:
The dietician said for parents looking to inculcate healthy eating habits in their kids, they must keep the following points in mind:
"During routine check-ups, experts may be able to detect early signs of an eating disorder by asking questions about your child's eating habits and measurements such as height, weight percentiles, and body mass index (BMI)," said Mahedvi.
