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Teenager’s Eating Disorders
The general incidence of eating disorders among teenage girls is low, but those who develop them are at high risk for other emotional problems that linger into early adulthood. Researchers find a much higher percentage of those with bulimia, anorexia, and partial versions of those diseases also suffer with more depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse problems than the general teen population. The study found that kids with eating disorders were twice as likely to have a psychological problem as a group of "no-eating-disorder" kids - and that rate was approaching 90%. And among the kids with eating disorders, more than 70% of them continued to have psychological problems at age 24. So an eating disorder needs to be understood in the context of a lot of other problems. We should know eating disorders have very little to do with food and eating - all these things begin in adolescence when there's a search for identity. She recommends pediatricians learn to ask the right questions to ferret out a possible eating disorder. Be sure that with proper treatment - including psychotherapy and nutritional monitoring - there is hope. Treatment is really important. It can make the difference between a chronic case and one that is cured. Only 25 percent of kids in the United States participate in any daily physical activity. This lack of exercise contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States, and obesity can eventually lead to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. Is there hope for our sedentary kids? There are quality daily physical education and youth sports and recreation programs to offer accessible and attractive activities for a variety of kids. Indeed, exercise is the key to good health. Kids need some sort of physical exercise daily. Encourage your teen to pursue interests that get him or her moving such as school-based sports or physical activities. Also, start exercising as a family. Make fitness part of the family dynamic. Additionally, healthy teens enjoy higher self-esteem than overweight or out of shape kids. Even if your teen already has room to play outside, coaxing kids off the sofa can be difficult. Use the following suggestions to energize teenage couch potatoes. • Enroll your teen in a class. Analyze your child's likes and dislikes and come up with something creative. Maybe your 16-year-old daughter would like to take a self-defense class, learn how to box or try yoga. Your teenage son might enjoy scaling walls at a climbing gym or learning how to fence. Check colleges and community programs for fun and unusual classes. • Play outside. Offer to drive your teenager and his or her friends to the ice-skating rink or community swimming pool instead of the video store. Suggest older teens go on a hike and pack a healthy picnic for them to enjoy. • Plan family activities. Instead of watching your kids tan this summer, grab a Frisbee or volleyball and challenge them to a game. Or rent bikes and explore a new area. • Set limits on passive leisure activities such as watching TV and playing video games. It's possible to change bad habits. Let your kids know what they eat matters. Remove unhealthy foods from the house. An obese child needs to be trained into a healthier, new lifestyle of eating right and exercising. Don't forget to encourage kids to drink water. If a teen is still hungry after a healthy snack, have them down a big glass of water and wait 10 minutes. They'll probably feel full and not ask for more food.
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