How do you know if your children have an eating disorder?

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia are not only dangerous because of the severe effects they produce both on the body and on general mental health; In addition, one of the factors that make them very harmful is that, in most cases, these psychopathologies appear during adolescence or in very young adults. young people, in a stage of life in which human beings have fewer resources to ensure their own well-being and to recognize behavior patterns troublesome.

That is why it is very important that as fathers and mothers we are able to detect the warning signs associated with Eating Disorders, so so that the young person can count on the support he needs in the early stages of the disease's development, when he has not yet done almost all the damage he could do. So, in this article I will explain the key ideas to keep in mind to know if your children suffer from an eating disorder, beginning by understanding what this group of disorders consists of.

• Related article: "Keys to understanding eating disorders"

What characterizes eating disorders?

The main clue to understand what eating disorders are, also called Eating Disorders, is in their name. In it, it is already intuited that the core of the problem suffered by people with eating disorders is in their diet, that is, a set of behavior patterns. It is neither in the way in which the body digests food and metabolizes its components (since food is not the same as nutrition), nor in the way in which the subject perceives her body when looking in a mirror, although in many cases it also presents alterations in these aspects.

Thus, the first step to knowing how to detect an ED is to have a broad vision of the diversity of symptoms that are encompassed within this concept. Although bulimia and anorexia are the most "famous" and popularly known eating disorders, they are not everyone is associated with this obsession with not eating calories, and not everyone is present with this obsession with not fatten. What they all have in common is that the person internalizes a series of behavior patterns that lead them to maintain a pathological relationship with food.

For this reason, within eating disorders we find alterations such as:

• The bulimia nervosa
• The anorexia nervosa
• He Binge eating disorder
• selective eating disorder
• the pike

Why is it necessary to quickly detect TCAs in the breeding process?

Feeding is one of the fundamental biological processes in which practically all animals must be involved, and any psychological alteration with the ability to give rise to problematic behaviors in this area can greatly wear down a person's health, or even cause death in the medium and long term.

Although there are eating disorders that are more dangerous than others, it is crucial to react as soon as possible when detecting the first symptoms, especially at a stage of life in which the subject has less capacity to deal with potentially traumatic experiences or triggers for a harmful lifestyle in others aspects. For example, it is known that young people who have developed eating disorders are more likely to start self-harm or become addicted to drugs.

• You may be interested in: "The 6 keys to parenting"

The 8 keys to detecting an eating disorder in your son or daughter

The diagnosis of an ED is always made by a health professional, but it is usually the fathers and mothers who have easier access to those early warning signs that suggest an eating disorder is present in your child or daughter. With this in mind, let's look at some of the key ideas to react quickly, as soon as the first symptoms of an eating disorder begin to express themselves in a teenager. Remember that they are indicative ideas and that all these factors do not have to be fulfilled.

1. He has a love-hate relationship with the mirror.

Although, as I have anticipated, not all EDs go hand in hand with an excessive concern with body image, in several of the most common this phenomenon does occur. It is important to look at whether the young person has a certain ambivalence towards the idea of ​​looking in the mirror: There are young people who avoid seeing their reflected image at all costs and, on other occasions, begin to look at themselves over and over again in it, coming and going from it throughout the day for no apparent reason.

2. Takes an interest in advance about the food that will be offered or to which you will have access

It is very common for people with eating disorders to try to control their access to food, or how many times of the day they will be offered food on a plate. In the case of people with anorexia, this occurs because these experiences generate a lot of anxiety, feeling pressured to eat when in reality they want to do the opposite.

3. isolates himself emotionally

As you are focusing more on food and your image, Do you feel that your daughter or son communicates less and less emotionally with the family, does not express their emotions or they appear suddenly in a very intense way. This happens because although changes in diet are the most obvious symptoms, the origin of the discomfort is actually emotional. For this reason, asking for help can be very difficult for people who suffer from it.

• Related article: "The 7 types of loneliness, and their causes and characteristics"

4. Periodic visits to the bathroom after each meal

If the adolescent goes to the bathroom right after sitting down to eat, or during meals, and this is repeated almost systematically, it may be a sign that vomiting is being induced.

5. Rapid changes in your weight

Many people with eating disorders gain or lose weight significantly in a matter of a few weeks. This may be due to both their efforts to lose weight and the "rebound effect" caused by the frustration of not losing as much weight as they would like.

6. Food in the fridge or pantry disappears without explanation

In those eating disorders that lead to binge eating, as occurs with bulimia nervosa, foods that do not need to be prepared or cooked are often used; especially those that are high in sugars or carbohydrates.

7. He always wears loose clothing

This is one of the usual resources that people with eating disorders have to hide their silhouette as much as possible.

8. He is obsessed with the bodies of influencers and celebrities

In many social networks, true subcultures of adolescents, especially girls, who try to be as similar as possible to celebrities of whom they are fans. In many cases, these young women even encourage each other to lose weight.

9. He's on a diet he doesn't talk about

On the one hand, people with an eating disorder based on the restriction of the amount of food and attempts to lose weight They usually try to keep their relationship with food discreet, trying not to “give clues”.. But on the other hand, as mothers and fathers, it is not very difficult to realize that they are following a diet; for example, always resorting to the same type of ingredients, which they repeat more than once a week.

Are you looking for psychotherapeutic assistance for eating disorders?

If you need psychology services for adolescents, young people or for mothers and fathers, contact me.

Am Ada Folch, health psychologist specializing in the care of adolescents, adults and families. The sessions can be done in person at my office located in Barcelona, ​​or through the online therapy mode via video call.