Eating Disorders In Children - Maternal Smoking May Promote Eating Disorders In Children

Eating Disorders in children are a learned behavior. Individuals who have an Eating Disorder can hardly remember what day or time it began only that it started out as a temporary solution. Eating Disorders among children are insidious over time the disorder escalates the individual who started out believing they had control over what was eaten or not eaten; they no longer have a choice as the eating disorder is in control.

Most of the factors lead an individual to develop an acute eating disorder. Some reasons behind the disorder are poor body image, low self-esteem and self worth, environment, watching family or friends acting out or seeing something on television to name a few. Eating Disorders are also used as a coping mechanism for undergoing unusual trauma, stress, or any life changing event. Depending on the type of eating disorder they are several types; Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, Compulsive Overeating, Bingeing, and Food Addiction this individual experiences a sense of relief and comfort as well as a high when they engage in this behavior. The false feeling of the disorder is temporary which leads to the continuation and escalation of the eating disorder. In order for the individual to get the same false disordered sense of relief and comfort they had initially they either transfer the eating disorder or participate in the behavior more frequently.

It is a disturbing fact that eating disorders among children, such as anorexia, have been diagnosed in children as young as four. The development of Anorexia usually appears during the early years and affects mostly girls who generally have less body fat than boys. Eating disorders especially in children can slow down their growth, puberty, and in girls their breast development. The eating habits of the children, lifestyles, and body image are formed early in life through the attitudes of their parents. When parents have issues with body image and body weight gain their children are at higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa because young children like to imitate their parents. Studies have greatly shown that children with anorexic mothers were more depressed, cranky, and had poor attitudes towards food by the tender age of five. Now parents who have open various lines of communication and are educated on child development can have an impact on preventing eating disorders in children.

There are several steps for making positive alteration among the sufferers like; one can take his child to the family doctor to determine if there are any medical or psychological illnesses; or can make changes in the family eating habits and expect everyone to participate which means three healthy meals a day, eat as a family, and provide only healthy snacks. Be a positive role model; one should never miss any meals and should take advantage of spending quality time with the children; parents should become more conscious of their own eating habits, body image, and weight control attitudes; people should prepare meals with portion control in mind which will help to eliminate the request to eat their entire meal; also the parents should keep the lines of communication open and should encourage their child to speak freely about their feelings.

• Felicia Byrnes
• 19/03/2009, 4:59 PM
• 0 Comments