Eating disorders involve unhealthy eating patterns and a problematic relationship or obsession with food and one's body. They can involve both under or overeating. This disorder often develops during the adolescent years and can have profound negative physical and emotional consequences.
Eating Disorders in Teens Explained
Eating disorders are characterized by a pre-occupation with food and weight, as well as a distorted body image. Female teens are particularly vulnerable to developing this disorder but male adolescents develop eating disorders too, especially binge-eating disorder.
Teens struggling with problematic eating patterns may have a serious and potentially life-threatening illness that goes much deeper than controlling eating through will power or self-control. Their obsession with food becomes an addiction, similar in many ways to an addiction to drugs or alcohol - the primary difference being the necessity to eat and provide nutrition to the body.
Emotional distress seems to play a significant role in eating disorders. Negative emotions such as anger, boredom or sadness often trigger the desire to use food as a way to comfort, numb or avoid these painful feelings. Controlling the intake of food is perceived as a way to control difficult feelings or situations. As an eating disorder progresses the accompanying guilt and shame trigger the desire to repeat the behavior in order to experience the short period of pleasure, which keeps this addictive cycle going.
Types of Eating Disorders
There are primarily three types of eating disorders that affect teens. Bulimia and binge eating disorders are characterized by a pattern of significant overeating often accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. Bulimia also involves various ways in which the sufferer purges the food. Anorexia is characterized by under-eating due to intense fears of gaining weight. Here's more information about the defining characteristics of these disorders:
- Bulimia is defined by eating large amounts of food and then purging, through the use of laxatives, diuretics or self-induced vomiting. A teen suffering from bulimia usually maintains a normal weight due to the purging behavior but her body may become depleted of important nutrients.
- Binge eating appears to be as common in males as it is in females and is defined by eating large amounts of food in a short amount of time. There is no purging but the binge is usually accompanied by a strong sense of guilt and shame after the food is consumed. Those who suffer from this disorder are usually overweight, sometimes obese, and often suffer from depression.
- In anorexia there is constant worry about the number of calories being consumed and an intense fear of becoming fat. In addition to restricting food; diet pills or exercising excessively are often used to loose weight. A teen with anorexia is obsessed with being thin and no matter how much weight is lost she continues to view her body as fat.
All types of eating disorders have a common theme; never being satisfied with the way one looks or feels. Without treatment the problem will worsen to the point where the teen is unable to control their 'abuse' of food. There are serious health consequences to include starvation, heart problems, diabetes, dehydration, kidney failure and hormone problems.
Why Troubled Teens are Vulnerable to Eating Disorders
It can be difficult to understand that eating disorders are often driven by a teen's desire to deal with problems or pain by trying to find a way to feel more in control of what is happening to them both internally and externally. This makes more sense when you consider the example that consuming carbohydrates can be calming, sugar or caffeine stimulating.
When these patterns are taken to an extreme, become a crutch, or a teen has only limited coping skills eating disorders can become increasingly problematic. There are a number of factors believed to contribute to the development of this disorder including genetics, a mental health disorder, societal expectations, stress, poor eating habits or very low self-esteem.
Concerns for Teens With an Eating Disorder
Eating disorders negatively impact all aspects of a teens' life to include their relationships, education, mood, energy and body. The disorder can result in a teens' death from suicide or physical complications, especially in the case of anorexia.
This is a serious illness in which teens who are using food hoping to gain some control in their life often end up being completely out of control. The good news is that once a teen eating disorder is identified, treatment can provide the tools and motivation to decrease the suffering and allow a troubled teen to live a healthy life.
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