Most people know that our young adults and adolescents are under growing amounts of stress daily. The amount of stress, pressure, anxiety, and trauma this population lives with is likely at an all-time high. Our adolescents and younger adults are inundated with negativity, social media stress or pressure, and the overall sense of unrest in the world. All of that takes its toll on everyone around us. 

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

According to some of the latest research, up to five percent of teenage girls have some form of disordered eating. And most clinicians and parents know the rates with boys are climbing higher and higher. Perhaps five percent doesn’t sound like a shocking number to you. According to Clevland Clinic,  approximately twenty million girls and women and ten million boys and men in America have an eating disorder. 

Various things put people at risk for eating disorders or even a challenging relationship with food or their bodies. These risk areas include:

• Significant life changes (moving, divorce, starting a new school or new job, relationships ending)

• Diabetes

• Traumatic experiences

• Familial histories of eating disorders

• Personal Mental Health History

• Experiences with dieting

• Perfectionistic tendencies

• Family history of eating disorders, addiction, or other mental health issues

• Involvement in activities that focus on body appearances

Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Children and Teens

When looking at risk categories, we are looking for what puts a person at risk for developing an eating disorder. Not everyone who experiences diabetes will go on to develop an eating disorder. 

It can feel disconcerting to decipher if your child has an eating disorder or even just an unhealthy relationship with food or their body. Young people can go through growth phases where their appetites are ferocious or when they are barely present based on their growing stage.  Some signs and symptoms that a younger person’s relationship with food has entered an unhealthy territory include

• Extreme body dissatisfaction

• Sensitivity to comments or criticism about exercise, food, body shape, or weight

• Heightened anxiety around meal times

• Distorted body image ( constantly check their image in mirrors, windows, or other reflective surfaces)

• Extreme body dissatisfaction

• Preoccupation with food, body shape, and weight

• Avoid eating with friends, eating in isolation, and discarding food

• Obsessively count calories or examine food labels for nutritional information

• Strict or rigid thinking regarding food, nutrition, eating times, etc. 

• Love self-esteem (e.g., negative opinions of self, feelings of shame, guilt or self-loathing)

• Depression, anxiety, or irritability

• Spend a great deal of time (both in person and online) talking to people who promote or encourage disordered behaviors

• Frequently weighing themselves.

• Extreme weight change

• Insomnia

• Skin rash or dry skin

• Dental cavities

• Erosion of tooth enamel

• Loss of hair or nail quality

• Hyperactivity and high interest in exercise

It can be terrifying to love someone at war with their body. Witnessing a person's struggle with food, eating, or even body image can be gut-wrenching and soul-crushing. With the ever-growing anxiety of not knowing how much to push and when to get them help, We recommend seeking out help sooner rather than later. It’s also important to consider getting your loved one (or yourself) help before the issue becomes a fully diagnosable issue. There’s no such thing as “too early” as seeking help.