According to a recent study and doctor reports in Australia, eating disorders are becoming more common among children as young as 5. Dr. Sloane Madden, a specialist in treating children with eating disorders commented, "In the last 12 months there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of young people presenting to our unit." A recent study identified 100 underweight children across Australia who had been admitted to hospitals; 25 percent of these were boys. The landmark study is the first to provide Australians with national information on children with disordered eating behaviors.

Experts are concerned that family doctors may be missing the signs of eating disorders in many children. In particular, doctors don't expect boys to have problems with eating disorders. Professor Phillipa Hay from the University Western Sydney commented, "In one case, a doctor told a nine-year-old boy's family not to worry that he was losing weight. This young boy presented late on a Sunday night with a heart rate in the 30s which was really putting him at immediate risk of dying. He required resuscitation. If there starts to be a pattern of children not eating and becoming thinner and skipping lunch regularly, then parents should be concerned."

(Source: www.abc.net.au)

Labels: eating disorder, australia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group