Eating disorders, a lethal and epidemic problem worldwide, are afflicting our children in some instances as young as age five. The typical age of onset has dropped recently from the teen years to the preteen years (ages 9 to 12.) The John Walsh Show, to be aired over NBC on Monday June 2, 2003, featured the topic in "Pre-Teen Eating Disorders."
Walsh reported that 80% of girls in grades three through six are dissatisfied with their physical appearance and that 25% of first grade girls have been on diets. According to guest eating disorder expert, psychotherapist, and author Abigail Natenshon, MA. LCSW, dieting and body image concerns are both high risk factors and potential triggers for the onset of clinical eating disorders.
The three girls who appeared as John's guests were, at ages 11, 13 and 15, resilient, resourceful and solidly recovered youngsters, each having been close to death from anorexia or bulimia. Natenshon says, "Kids can beat these diseases, but they can't do it alone. Though parents are not to blame, there is a lot they can do to either prevent or cure these problems once they develop." She goes on to say that the key to a successful and timely recovery is for parents to recognize early warning signs of disease in their child and to take charge until the child is capable of resuming self-care.
She claims, "Kids need their parents now more than ever. If parents are not part of the solution, they risk becoming part of the problem." In watching for early warning signs of disease, Natenshon urges parents to become diagnosticians, as these diseases are more likely to show up at the kitchen table or in the family bathroom than in the pediatrician's office. The earlier parents detect signs of disease, the better are the chances for the child's timely recovery."
Calling an eating disorder "the behavioral tip of an emotional iceberg," Natenshon urges parents to look for signs in behaviors, as well as emotions.
Behavioral signs may include:
- Rapid weight fluctuations
- Eating quirks or idiosyncrasies (such as dieting or vegetarianism)
- Excessive exercise
- Compulsive behaviors in areas beyond food and eating
- Preoccupation with being "fat" even when not overweight
Emotional indicators may include:
- Anxiety and compulsivity
- Perfectionism, which signifies insecurity and low self esteem
- Depression
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating - Eating disordered children may spend as much as 80% of their waking hours obsessing about food, and worrying about weight.
Highly optimistic about outcomes for children of educated and proactive parents, Natenshon tells parents, "Don't be afraid to be parental!" She claims that parents can virtually immunize their child against eating disorders by modeling and teaching healthy eating attitudes and behaviors and by raising emotionally healthy kids who are not afraid to face and resolve life's problems squarely and effectively.
About Abigail H. Natenshon
Abigail H. Natenshon, MA LCSW has been a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in the treatment of eating disordered individuals and their families for the past 33 years. She is co-founder and director of Eating Disorder Specialists of Illinois; A Clinic without Walls, and the author of When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers (Jossey Bass, San Francisco, October, 1999). Visit her web sites at www.empoweredparents.com, www.empoweredkidZ.com and
www.TreatingEatingDisorders.com.
