Eating Disorders Blog

In a March 29 article on shreveporttimes.com, author Doreen Nagle provided the following details on the prevalence of eating disorders among teenagers:

• About 10 of every 100 teen girls suffer from two body image disorders, bulimia and anorexia. These two diseases are classified as psychiatric disorders and may run in families.
• Over 12 percent of high school students admit that they have gone without eating for 24 hours so they may lose weight or prevent weight gain.
• More than six percent of students nationwide admitted having taken diet supplements without a doctor's advice to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight.
• Forcing oneself to vomit as an aid in losing weight or keeping weight off is a practice used by about 5 percent of teens; the number of girls using this method is more than twice that of boys.

"Is your child unrealistically concerned with being 'fat' when she or he is too thin in your estimation? Does your child's weight fluctuate with no reasonable explanation?," Nagle wrote. "Watch for the signs of anorexia or bulimia."

Labels: bulimia, teen eating disorders, anorexia

Posted By: Aspen/CRC