How to Identify Eating Disorders in Teenage Girls
Look for dramatic weight changes., Watch out for physical deterioration., Look for evidence of purging., Keep an eye out for laxatives or diet pills., Look for extreme eating habits., Watch for sudden changes in eating habits., Look for an increased...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for dramatic weight changes.
Weight loss is common with eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulimia.
Weight may drop dramatically from the starting point, or drop below a healthy weight.
Conversely, those with a binge-eating disorder will gain weight rapidly.
The absence of dramatic weight change should not be taken as evidence there isn't a problem.
Eating disorders don't develop overnight.
Any responsible adult should aim to identify a problem before the teen is dangerously under- or overweight.
Incremental changes in weight over a long period can also occur, which can make it difficult to spot as a problem when you know the teen well and see her frequently.
Not every weight change is associated with an eating disorder.
As teenagers grow, they may lose or gain weight.
If you observe a dramatic loss of weight in conjunction with other symptoms, consider confronting the teen girl with your concerns.
When a teenage girl is 15% or more outside her normal weight, she may have an eating disorder. -
Step 2: Watch out for physical deterioration.
Eating disorders wreak havoc on the entire body.
Each eating disorder evinces different physical symptoms.
Besides a marked loss of weight, individuals suffering dramatic weight loss may evince other physical symptoms, such as:
Brittle hair and nails Dry, yellowish skin Muscle wasting, lethargy, and general loss of energy Being cold to the touch An increase in body hair , Teenage girls with bulimia will expel food from their stomachs through induced vomiting (purging).
If you’re a parent at home and hear or see your daughter retching, or detect the scent of vomit in the bathroom after she has been in there, she may be suffering from bulimia.
If detected, she might excuse the vomiting as an illness, such as stomach flu rather than self-induced purging.If she’s sneezing, stuffy, coughing, and/or has a temperature, she’s being honest; but remember, flu isn't always accompanied by vomiting.
If there's no reason for the vomiting, such as food poisoning, she may have an eating disorder.
A teen girl who purges might also take multiple showers each day in order to wash the vomit down the drain and minimize the odor., Diet pills block the body’s absorption of fat or curb the appetite, while laxatives encourage bowel movements.
Both may be employed by individuals with eating disorders in order to keep food out of their body and restrict the absorption of calories. , A teen girl with an eating disorder may binge on a large amount of food at one time, but at other times refuse to eat for long stretches.
She may eat very little, or implement very strict rules about her eating such as only eating at certain times or only eating certain types of food.
Fasting or skipping meals regularly can also indicate an eating disorder.
Alternately, a girl who binges may constantly snack throughout the day and regularly consume 5,000–15,000 calories in one sitting.If you’ve had large volumes of food go missing from the fridge, the teen may be binge-eating. , Eating habits might change quickly and dramatically, or change slowly over time.
A girl who suddenly refuses to eat anything but “diet,” fat-free, or low-fat foods may have an eating disorder.
Alternately, a girl who exclusively eats sweets, high-fat foods, or drinks only soda may be a binge eater.
For example:
If you notice she no longer eats her favorite junk food, this may be a sign that she has an eating disorder. , Body-image issues may manifest as a desire to reach some ideal body type through intense exercise.
Perhaps she has increased her workout routine from an hour or so to three or four hours of progressively more intense exercise each day? While regular exercise is good, if you sense the teenage girl’s exercise habits are getting out of hand and interfering with her social or academic life, consider talking with her about your concerns. , These may include a refusal to eat certain ingredients, measuring portions exactly, or counting calories in every item she eats or drinks.
These behaviors suggest an excessive and unhealthy preoccupation with food which could indicate an eating disorder.If she’s taken up reading diet cookbooks, watching cooking shows on TV, or reading about new low-calorie recipes online, she might have an obsessive food disorder.
Since these behaviors can be healthy and are not inherently indicative of the existence of an eating disorder, you should only consider them signs of an eating disorder if she also displays other warning signs as well. -
Step 3: Look for evidence of purging.
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Step 4: Keep an eye out for laxatives or diet pills.
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Step 5: Look for extreme eating habits.
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Step 6: Watch for sudden changes in eating habits.
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Step 7: Look for an increased activity regimen.
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Step 8: Note obsessive behaviors regarding food.
Detailed Guide
Weight loss is common with eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulimia.
Weight may drop dramatically from the starting point, or drop below a healthy weight.
Conversely, those with a binge-eating disorder will gain weight rapidly.
The absence of dramatic weight change should not be taken as evidence there isn't a problem.
Eating disorders don't develop overnight.
Any responsible adult should aim to identify a problem before the teen is dangerously under- or overweight.
Incremental changes in weight over a long period can also occur, which can make it difficult to spot as a problem when you know the teen well and see her frequently.
Not every weight change is associated with an eating disorder.
As teenagers grow, they may lose or gain weight.
If you observe a dramatic loss of weight in conjunction with other symptoms, consider confronting the teen girl with your concerns.
When a teenage girl is 15% or more outside her normal weight, she may have an eating disorder.
Eating disorders wreak havoc on the entire body.
Each eating disorder evinces different physical symptoms.
Besides a marked loss of weight, individuals suffering dramatic weight loss may evince other physical symptoms, such as:
Brittle hair and nails Dry, yellowish skin Muscle wasting, lethargy, and general loss of energy Being cold to the touch An increase in body hair , Teenage girls with bulimia will expel food from their stomachs through induced vomiting (purging).
If you’re a parent at home and hear or see your daughter retching, or detect the scent of vomit in the bathroom after she has been in there, she may be suffering from bulimia.
If detected, she might excuse the vomiting as an illness, such as stomach flu rather than self-induced purging.If she’s sneezing, stuffy, coughing, and/or has a temperature, she’s being honest; but remember, flu isn't always accompanied by vomiting.
If there's no reason for the vomiting, such as food poisoning, she may have an eating disorder.
A teen girl who purges might also take multiple showers each day in order to wash the vomit down the drain and minimize the odor., Diet pills block the body’s absorption of fat or curb the appetite, while laxatives encourage bowel movements.
Both may be employed by individuals with eating disorders in order to keep food out of their body and restrict the absorption of calories. , A teen girl with an eating disorder may binge on a large amount of food at one time, but at other times refuse to eat for long stretches.
She may eat very little, or implement very strict rules about her eating such as only eating at certain times or only eating certain types of food.
Fasting or skipping meals regularly can also indicate an eating disorder.
Alternately, a girl who binges may constantly snack throughout the day and regularly consume 5,000–15,000 calories in one sitting.If you’ve had large volumes of food go missing from the fridge, the teen may be binge-eating. , Eating habits might change quickly and dramatically, or change slowly over time.
A girl who suddenly refuses to eat anything but “diet,” fat-free, or low-fat foods may have an eating disorder.
Alternately, a girl who exclusively eats sweets, high-fat foods, or drinks only soda may be a binge eater.
For example:
If you notice she no longer eats her favorite junk food, this may be a sign that she has an eating disorder. , Body-image issues may manifest as a desire to reach some ideal body type through intense exercise.
Perhaps she has increased her workout routine from an hour or so to three or four hours of progressively more intense exercise each day? While regular exercise is good, if you sense the teenage girl’s exercise habits are getting out of hand and interfering with her social or academic life, consider talking with her about your concerns. , These may include a refusal to eat certain ingredients, measuring portions exactly, or counting calories in every item she eats or drinks.
These behaviors suggest an excessive and unhealthy preoccupation with food which could indicate an eating disorder.If she’s taken up reading diet cookbooks, watching cooking shows on TV, or reading about new low-calorie recipes online, she might have an obsessive food disorder.
Since these behaviors can be healthy and are not inherently indicative of the existence of an eating disorder, you should only consider them signs of an eating disorder if she also displays other warning signs as well.
About the Author
Deborah Ferguson
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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