It is not very easy to figure out if your child is actually suffering from an eating disorder. Basically, the thought may not even cross our minds that our beloved child could be actually suffering from some kind of an eating disorder. However, with instances of occurrence of eating disorders in children steadily on the rise, it pays to keep your eyes open for early warning signs.

Keep on eye on your child’s behavior patterns during and immediately after meals. Keep an eye on whether your child regularly goes to the bathroom immediately after a meal on a regular basis. It could be to throw up, you never know. Then again, it may be just a regular visit to the bathroom, but it is better to be sure than just make guesses. Also se if your child plays with her food more than she eats it. All these are classic signs of avoiding eating that eating disorder patients display.

Another sign to look out for is whether your child is becoming reclusive, or a loner. If your child was mixing easily with her peers earlier, but has of late started keeping to herself, it is cause for concern. It could be a symptom of an eating disorder.

How do Eating Disorders Affect Children?

Eating disorders can cause havoc with the growth of a child. First of all, there is the physical damage to think about. Once the weight starts to plummet owing to the excessive dieting or purging that characterizes eating disorders, the effect on the body can be manifold. Eating disorders can cause serious damage to vital organs like the heart, liver, stomach and kidneys in children. Besides, the hair and nails of the child will begin to resemble those of older people; they will begin to lose their youthful sheen. Bulimic children can suffer from severe stomach pain caused by the regular purging.

Besides these physical manifestations, other manifestations include shorter attention spans, caused by an inability to concentrate on any particular thing for too long a time, as well as severe headaches. On the psychological front, eating disorders can cause children to have reduced self esteem, and eventually lead to alcohol and drug-related problems in extreme cases.

Taking the Necessary Steps to Control Eating Disorders

Therefore, it becomes vital for you as a parent to recognize the potential damage that an eating disorder can cause to the life of your child, and take steps to increase your awareness of the problem and also effectively counter it if it is manifesting in your child. Be the person to tell your child about eating disorders and how harmful they are; it is always better that your child hears about it from you than from some friend who already has it. You can also teach your child the virtues of eating regularly, and warn them about the ill-effects of skipping meals.