Do you run behind your child to get the tiniest of morsels down his or her tummy? Is the list of food they dislike bigger than them? Is feeding your child next to impossible?
It might be an eating disorder.
While parents might be very happy with children who eat, eating too much also qualifies as an eating disorder.
Now, eating impacts their health, particularly their weight. Maintaining your child’s health condition is the biggest job that you have to do as parents. If they are not eating properly it may be due to physical, emotional and psychological factors that have affected them.
As parents, you should be aware of them if your child is having any eating disorders as they could lead to serious consequences.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders involve serious mental illnesses that disrupt the eating behaviour. This could limit the amount of food intake, they might start eating large quantities of food at once, or get rid of food eaten through unhealthy means like purging, laxative misuse, fasting, or excessive exercise.
Eating disorders are associated with feelings. Eating disorders may develop negative thoughts and feelings about body weight, and food. Poor eating habits interrupt the normal body function and daily activities. The types of eating disorders that are more common among children are:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Compulsive eating
- Bulimia
- Binge eating disorder
What Are The Factors That Contribute To This Disorder?
The factors that influence younger children are
- Biology and genetics
- Family issues
- Environmental issues
- Psychological stressors
- Cultural pressure
- Peer pressure
In the case of girls, they are very afraid of gaining weight during puberty. In most of the cases, the eating disorder does not have a direct cause.
What Are The Symptoms of Eating disorder?
Parents should have a keen eye on children to check out for symptoms. Some of the symptoms that you can see in children are they refuse to eat or eat very less in quantity sometimes they may hide the food and pretend that they have eaten already.
When it comes to symptoms that reflects in the body, they would suddenly gain or lose weight also the hair will start becoming thinner and thinner day by day and lighten in colour. In girls, they might affect the menstrual cycle.
Psychological symptoms include hyperactivity so that they don’t sit in a place as they keep them engaged all the time also they can be irritable or depressed and they start developing hatred towards food
What Are The Consequences That Your Child Might Face?
Eating disorders may lead to a lot of serious consequences such as physical, emotional and psychological.
- Malnutrition
- Slow growth
- Bone loss
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Body dysmorphia
Medical conditions like heart failure, kidney failure and problems with internal organs.
What Are The Treatments Available for Eating disorder?
Majority of the children need a psychotropic medication as the treatment for this disorder and also medical therapies could bring down the psychological factors that lead to this disorder. Also, under doctor’s guidance, the child can be given anti-anxiety medications.
Most of the treatment involves the parents so it begins with them. They should be full partners in any treatment paradigm. The parents should be more compassionate to the children and that is how it works. Family therapy should be frequent and parents should understand psycho-education about eating disorders.
If you are doubting that your child has got eating disorders, at times you should believe your instincts and visit a doctor. At Siva Children hospital they provide the best care for your child as the child’s health is your responsibility.
About the Hospital:
Sai Siva Childrens Hospital, Chanda Nagar, is a full-fledged medical facility specially designed for pediatric patients as well as young adults. The hospital was started in the year 2008, with the aim of reaching out to schools and villages to educate the middle and high school students about health & hygiene.
Sai Siva Children’s Hospital is one of the most sought-after children’s hospitals in Hyderabad with a team of experienced doctors and skilled staff who aim to help your child have healthy growth and development. We believe that children today are the future of our world, and must have good health to make the world a better place to live in.