Teen Eating Disorders

Your body and You!
How comfortable are you in your skin? Do you like what you see in the mirror? If not, why not? Is it because you do not look like the pictures in magazines? Or is it that someone has made a remark about your body? Or are you trying to look like someone else?

No matter how you feel at this very moment, you must understand one thing...You are not alone!

This affects about 1% of America's teens. Eating disorders are more common in females and the number of males with eating disorders (especially anorexia) is on the rise. Learning about eating disorders is the first step toward recognizing and combating eating disorders in yourself.

What is an eating disorder?

An eating disorder is considered a psychological problem. It involves an unhealthy obsession with food, whether the obsession is limiting intake, or whether the food obsession involves over-indulging regularly. The most common eating disorders are linked with body image, and most teens with eating disorders feel that they must take drastic measures to lose weight.

The three most common teen eating disorders are:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Binge eating (also called compulsive eating)

All three of these eating disorders can have unhealthy consequences, creating nutrient problems, growth problems, and weight problems in teens. Weighing too little is a weight problem, as is rapid and excessive weight gain.

Health problems associated with teen eating disorders.

The teen years are important in development. The changes that your body undergoes during these years require good nutrition. In addition to being too thin to be healthy, the foundations for brittle bones, iron deficiency and other problems related to a lack of nutrients can be laid during these years.

In cases of anorexia and bulimia, the desire to become thin outweighs healthy decisions. And in some cases, the psychological body image is so negative that you may always "feel fat," even when you are skinny.

Another problem is yo-yo dieting. This is especially prevalent in binge eating disorder. You binge, but feel guilty afterwards and go on a starvation diet. After a few days, or even weeks, you may feel the compulsion to eat again. The binging can last several days, and result in weight gain, after a dramatic weight loss. Yo-yo dieting represents a significant health risk to the developing body.

Here are some of the factors at the root of most teen eating disorders:

• Negative self-esteem,
• cultural pressure to look a certain way,
• shame about one's body.

It is important to recognize that preventing eating disorders involves compassion and understanding. You can develop healthy attitudes about proper nutrition, appropriate exercise and acceptance of yourself and your body by good eating habits. Additionally, nurturing your self-esteem and avoiding comments about weight can help prevent an eating disorder.

You should not change yourself for someone else because of their comments or suggestions. Even if and when you need to loose weight, you must do so with healthier attitudes and ways rather than by punishing the body.

You were born with your own uniqueness.
Although you have a body, YOU are not your body.
Who you are (the person inside your body) is beautiful and lovely.

We can help you discover your true beauty and assist you in bringing out the best of you. Isn't it time to begin loving yourself emotionally and physically? It is about time to nurture and become healthier than ever before!

No matter what has happened to you in your life – you have the power to create a life you absolutely love. And I can show you how!