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Eating Disorders in Children and Teens-What Every Family Needs to Know

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Eating Disorders in Children and Teens-What Every Family Needs to Know

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Eating Disorders   What Every Family Needs to Know

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 Toll Free Confidential Help Line: 1-800-931-2237

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 Toll Free Confidential Help Line: 1-800-931-2237

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Browse our collection of books about Eating Disorders here:

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Browse our collection of books about Eating Disorders here:

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Habla de los desórdenes alimenticios con tu hijo(a) adolescente

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Habla de los desórdenes alimenticios con tu hijo(a) adolescente

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Alimentación saludable y ejercicio

Habla de los desórdenes alimenticios con tu hijo(a) adolescente

Muy poco ha estado bajo nuestro control en los últimos dos años. Hacer frente a tantas dificultades, ansiedad y aislamiento puede ser extremadamente difícil. Para algunos, ha llevado a relaciones enfermizas con las drogas, el alcohol e incluso la comida.

Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades publicaron un informe en febrero que mostró un aumento constante en las visitas al departamento de emergencias relacionadas con trastornos alimenticios por parte de niñas de entre 12 y 17 años.

Los trastornos alimenticios son condiciones de salud mental graves y potencialmente fatales. Son la segunda enfermedad mental más mortal después de la adicción a los opioides. Es por eso que es tan importante tener una conversación a tiempo si crees que alguien sufre de un trastorno alimenticio.

Estadística

Según la Asociación Nacional de Anorexia Nerviosa y Trastornos Asociados ( ANAD, por sus siglas en inglés):

28.8 millones de estadounidenses - el 9% de la población de los Estados Unidos - tendrán un trastorno alimenticio

Menos del 6% de las personas con un trastorno alimenticio son diagnosticadas médicamente con peso insuficiente

10,200 muertes al año son el resultado directo de un trastorno alimenticio - una cada 52 minutos

Los no blancos son significativamente menos propensos que los blancos a que un doctor les pregunte sobre síntomas del trastorno alimenticio

Los no blancos con trastornos alimenticios tienen la mitad de probabilidades de ser diagnosticados o recibir tratamiento

Las personas negras tienen menos probabilidades de ser diagnosticadas con anorexia que las personas blancas, pero la experimentan por más tiempo

Los adolescentes negros tienen un 50% más de probabilidades que los adolescentes blancos de manifestar el comer excesivamente y purgar

Los hispanos son significativamente más propensos a sufrir de bulimia nerviosa que los no hispanos

Los estudiantes universitarios asiático-americanos reportan niveles más altos de insatisfacción corporal que sus compañeros que no son asiáticos ni blancos

¿Qué buscar?

Los trastornos alimenticios son el resultado de trastornos graves en los comportamientos alimenticios a menudo relacionados con pensamientos y emociones. La persona se centra en la comida, cómo se ve o su peso. Se centran en esas cosas excluyendo todo lo demás.
Los trastornos alimentarios más comunes y sus síntomas:
Anorexia nerviosa - las personas se ven a ellas mismas con sobrepeso y tienden a pesarse constantemente. Las del subtipo restrictivo restringen seriamente la cantidad que comen. El subtipo de atracón-purga restringe cuánto comen, aunque ocasionalmente pueden comer una gran cantidad de alimentos y luego purgar vomitando o usando laxantes. Son peligrosamente delgadas. La anorexia puede ser fatal ya que los órganos y los músculos pueden colapsar.

Bulimia nerviosa - Las personas con esta condición con frecuencia comerán grandes cantidades de alimentos, se sentirán culpables por ello, luego purgarán, harán ejercicio en exceso, usarán laxantes, ayunarán o una combinación de todos estos comportamientos. Los vómitos pueden provocar daños en los dientes, reflujo ácido y deshidratación.

Trastorno por atracón - Una persona perderá el control de su alimentación y comerá recurrentemente grandes cantidades de alimentos. A menudo son obesas porque la alimentación excesiva nunca es seguida por purgas, ayuno o ejercicio. Este es el trastorno alimentario más común en los Estados Unidos.

Cómo hablar con tu hijo(a) adolescente

Hay numerosas razones por las que las personas pueden desarrollar trastornos alimenticios. Existe un vínculo genético potencial, ya que las personas que tienen hermanos o padres con un trastorno alimenticio tienen más probabilidades de desarrollar un trastorno alimenticio. La depresión y la ansiedad a menudo están relacionadas con los trastornos alimenticios. La cultura occidental enfatiza los cuerpos delgados y atléticos. Ciertas actividades -gimnasia, patinaje, ballet - parecen favorecer a las personas delgadas.

La prevención de un trastorno alimenticio comienza con una comunicación abierta sobre la imagen corporal y la dieta.

Fomenta hábitos saludables - Habla sobre cómo la energía, la apariencia y la salud se ven afectadas por la dieta. Alienta a los adolescentes a comer solo cuando tengan hambre. Proporciona un buen ejemplo.

Habla sobre los medios de comunicación - Invita a los adolescentes a cuestionar lo que ven en los medios de comunicación sobre los tipos de cuerpo.

Discute sobre una imagen corporal saludable - Asegúrales que las formas saludables del cuerpo no son uniformes. No bromees sobre la apariencia de NADIE ni uses apodos hirientes basados en la apariencia de alguien.

Promueve la autoestima - Honra los logros de tu hijo(a) adolescente. Escúchalos y busca cualidades positivas. Hazles saber que los amas y acéptalos incondicionalmente. No importa cómo se vean o lo que pesen.

Habla sobre los peligros - Hazle saber a tu hijo(a) adolescente que puede afectar su crecimiento y su salud a largo plazo. La alimentación emocional puede conducir a condiciones peligrosas. Hazles saber que siempre pueden hablar contigo sobre sus sentimientos en lugar de recurrir a la comida.

AltaMed está aquí para ayudar

El experimentado equipo de salud mental de AltaMed cuenta con trabajadores sociales clínicos con licencia que hablan inglés y español y están capacitados para ayudar a lidiar con los factores estresantes de la vida. La terapia a corto plazo está disponible, y podemos conectar a los miembros con los servicios de salud mental si se necesita terapia a largo plazo u otro tipo de apoyo. Si necesitas ayuda para hablar con un ser querido, hay recursos disponibles para ti. Llámanos al (855) 425-1777 para comenzar.

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Habla de los desórdenes alimenticios con tu hijo(a) adolescente

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Muy poco ha estado bajo nuestro control en los últimos dos años. Hacer frente a tantas dificultades, ansiedad y aislamiento puede ser extremadamente difícil. Para algunos, ha llevado a relaciones enfermizas con las drogas, el alcohol e incluso la comida.

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FCPS Collection of Resources on Eating Disorders

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FCPS Collection of Resources on Eating Disorders

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Eating disorders are conditions that can have a serious effect on health. They are serious behaviors that affect every aspect of the child's life. Eating disorders are not identified based on weight changes as much as behaviors and attitudes. Signs of eating disorders may differ between males and females and in different age groups. Often, a young person may not recognize the signs that they might have an eating disorder. Parents/guardians and family members are in a position to notice behaviors that cause concern. It is important that a child with an eating disorder be treated early by someone who understands this type of care.

Key things to look for around food:

Eating a lot of food that seems out of control (large amounts of food may disappear, you find a lot of empty wrappers hidden)

Develops food rules-may eat only a particular food or food group, cuts food into very small pieces, or spreads food out on the plate

Talks a lot about, or focuses often, on weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting

Often says that they are not hungry

Skips meals or takes small portions of food at regular meals

Cooks meals or treats for others but won't eat them

Avoids mealtimes or situations involving food

Goes to the bathroom after meals often

Uses a lot of mouthwash, mints, and/or gum

Starts cutting out foods that he or she used to enjoy

Key things to look for around activity:

Exercises all the time, more than what is healthy or recommended - despite weather, lack of energy, illness, or injury

Stops doing their regular activities, spends more time alone (can be spending more time exercising)

Physical Risk Factors:

Feels cold all the time or complains of being tired all the time. Likely to become more irritable and/or nervous.

Any vomiting after eating (or see signs in the bathroom of vomiting - smell, clogged shower drain)

Any use of laxatives or diuretics (or you find empty packages)

Other Risk Factors:

Believes that they are too big or too fat (regardless of reality)

Asks often to be reassured about how they look

Stops hanging out with their friends

Not able to talk about how they are feeling

Reports others are newly judgmental or "not connecting"

How to Communicate with Your Child

Understand that eating disorder sufferers often deny that there is a problem.

Educate yourself on eating disorders

Ask what you can do to help

Listen openly and be nonjudgmental

Talk with your child in a kind way when you are calm and not angry, frustrated, or upset

Let him/her know you only want the best for him/her

Remind your child that he/she has people who care and support him/her

Be flexible and open with your support

Be honest

Show care, concern, and understanding

Ask how he/she is feeling

Try to be a good role model - don't engage in 'fat talk' about yourself

Understand that your child is not looking for attention or pity

Seek professional help on behalf of your child if you have ANY concerns

If Your Child Shows Signs of a Possible Eating Disorder

If you think your child may be showing signs of a possible eating disorder, please contact your doctor, school nurse, or one of the resources listed below. A child with an eating disorder should be seen by someone who understands the treatment of eating disorders. The earlier a person with an eating disorder seeks treatment, the greater the likelihood of physical and emotional recovery.
In 2013, Virginia passed a law requiring every school system provide information to parents annually about eating disorders. This information is given to parents of students in the fifth through twelfth grades. Please contact your school principal for more information.

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Eating disorders are conditions that can have a serious effect on health. They are serious behaviors that affect every aspect of the child's life. Eating disorders are not identified based on weight changes as much as behaviors and attitudes. Signs of eating disorders may differ between males and females and in different age groups.

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The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

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The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

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Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH)

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F.E.A.S.T: We Are Here Because We've Been There

You've found F.E.A.S.T: the global organization of and serving parents like you around the world. We are here to help you understand your son or daughter's eating disorder, support you in helping them get appropriate treatment, and get you the information you need to help them recover and thrive.

This website is about you. Your learning, your confidence, your resources. No two families have the same needs or path, but we know what kind of information and skills help families be resilient and strong through the process. We can help you discover your unique toolkit.

We believe in families. We believe in full recovery. We believe information is power and good treatment saves lives. Welcome to our community.

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FEAST: Support and resources for families affected by eating disorders

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F.E.A.S.T: We Are Here Because We've Been There You've found F.E.A.S.T: the global organization of and serving parents like you around the world. We are here to help you understand your son or daughter's eating disorder, support you in helping them get appropriate treatment, and get you the information you need to help them recover and thrive.

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Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia 

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Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia 

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Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders: How to Help Your Child Eat Well and Be Well 

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Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders: How to Help Your Child Eat Well and Be Well 

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Psychology Today Suggested Local Providers

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Psychology Today Suggested Local Providers

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Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness Center

Treatment Center, LCSW, CEDS

We specialize in the treatment of Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Binge Eating Disorder, ARFID and Orthorexia.

Prosperity is a warm, therapeutic, and friendly environment, where we provide highly effective eating disorder treatment by experts in the field. Programs offered: Adult Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Adolescent PHP program, Adult and Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, Binge Eating Disorder IOP, Virtual Adult IOP.

Carolina House | Eating Disorder Treatment

Carolina House is pleased to offer two locations with a variety of services. Our program provide solace for men and women suffering from anorexia , bulimia and binge eating disorder and combines medical care, psychiatry, psychotherapy and dietary interventions to facilitate lasting recovery. Whether you need residential care in our beautiful craftsman style farmhouse surrounded by 10 acres of forest, or IOP/PHO care at our center in Raleigh, Carolina House provides a beautiful, safe and nurturing environment for healing.

Dominion Hospital

Dominion Hospital is part of HCA's Northern Virginia market along with Reston Hospital Center, StoneSprings Hospital Center, and multiple CareNow Urgent Care Centers. Dominion Hospital has 116 licensed beds, and is Northern Virginia's leader in short-term mental health services for children ages 5-12, adolescents age 13-17, and adults age 18 and older. Dominion Hospital is also home to the Reflections Eating Disorders Treatment Center, one of only two Joint Commission accredited programs for eating disorders , and the only one on the East Coast. TraumaSci is a 10-bed inpatient unit specializing in the treatment of complex trauma disorders. We also offer Substance Use Disorders, ASAM level 3.7 medical detox on our Adult Unit. Our treatment levels include: Crisis Stabilization, Inpatient Care, Partial Hospitalization (PHP), both in-person and now virtual, and Intensive Outpatient (IOP), both in-person and now virtual. Facility amenities include: 24/7 professional services, live in-person or virtual assessments if preferred, patient computer lab, expressive therapy rooms, comfortable accommodations, an indoor gym, and a state-of-the-art outdoor courtyard/therapeutic recreation area.

Potomac Behavioral Solutions

DBT is an evidence based treatment designed to help manage impulsive behaviors, emotional responses, and self-destructive urges. DBT was developed as a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment and empirical research has shown that DBT can also help address a variety of other concerns including eating disorders , anxiety disorders, and mood disorders. DBT skills can help you manage stress and live a healthier, more meaningful life. A specific goal of DBT is its focus on keeping patients out of the hospital, even in the face of self-injurious or suicidal behavior. PBS offers DBT for children, adolescents, and adults.

Newport Academy

Newport Academy's Virginia location offers treatment for boys between the ages of 12-17. Our integrated approach treats the trauma and attachment wounds underlying teen mental health and behavioral issues, such as anxiety, depression, & eating disorders . We address these root causes through comprehensive, solution-focused treatment that involves the entire family in the healing process. To support our teens and their families in achieving long-term, sustainable healing, our clinical model takes into account every aspect of a teen's well-being-physical, psychological, relational, educational, and spiritual-so they can thrive when they return home to their families, schools, and communities. Moreover, we are committed to ongoing research on the efficacy of our treatment. To ensure that our care is truly evidence-based, we track a variety of treatment goals and commission rigorous third-party evaluations of our programming. Data gathered on our outcomes using industry-approved measurement tools shows consistent positive results in measures of well-being, depression, and anxiety, with patients' improvements, on average, exceeding levels of clinical significance.

Newport Academy

Newport Academy's Virginia location offers treatment for girls between the ages of 12-17. Our integrated approach treats the trauma and attachment wounds underlying teen mental health and behavioral issues, such as anxiety, depression, & eating disorders . We address these root causes through comprehensive, solution-focused treatment that involves the entire family in the healing process. To support our teens and their families in achieving long-term, sustainable healing, our clinical model takes into account every aspect of a teen's well-being-physical, psychological, relational, educational, and spiritual-so they can thrive when they return home to their families, schools, and communities. Moreover, we are committed to ongoing research on the efficacy of our treatment. To ensure that our care is truly evidence-based, we track a variety of treatment goals and commission rigorous third-party evaluations of our programming. Data gathered on our outcomes using industry-approved measurement tools shows consistent positive results in measures of well-being, depression, and anxiety, with patients' improvements, on average, exceeding levels of clinical significance.

Center For Discovery

At Center for Discovery, we have built a legacy that has helped thousands of patients in eating disorder recovery. Since 1997, our continuum of care takes treatment out of hospitals and into real-life settings. Our evidence-based and trauma-informed treatments give our patients the coping skills and encouragement they need to navigate real-life recovery. Our team gets to the heart of why patients have a disorder-this means asking questions and providing therapies that reveal the root causes, all in a space that is filled with compassion and security. From the moment our patients step through the doors, they'll begin developing the tools needed for everyday life after treatment.

Newport Academy Outpatient

At Newport Academy, we know that treatment financing can make all the difference in receiving quality treatment. To that end, we promote collaborative relationships with all healthcare payers to optimize the benefit coverage for families in need. We accept all major insurance, and up to 100 percent of our services are covered. Our goal is to partner with insurers to address the adolescent and young adult mental health crisis, by reaching more families and helping them achieve sustainable recovery. If you're interested in exploring the possibility of treatment at Newport Academy for your loved one's mental health, behavioral health, or substance abuse issues, we can begin the insurance verification process immediately. Furthermore, we are happy to obtain your insurance policy information and seek verification on your behalf. You can also expedite this process by completing the insurance verification form on our website. There is no obligation to either Newport Academy or to your insurance provider.

Choices Intensive Outpatient Program

Choices Adolescent IOP provides an intermediate level of care for adolescents. The program specializes in treating adolescents ages 13-17 that are able to function at school and in the community, but need more structured support than traditional outpatient therapy can provide. Choices IOP provides multiple modalities of group therapy, including Psychoeducational, Cognitive Behavioral, DBT Skills and Expressive Therapy. Participants will attend three group sessions an evening where they will develop skills for symptom management. Adolescents will also have the opportunity to meet individually with their therapist weekly. Choices IOP would be appropriate for adolescents struggling with: Crisis management Depression, Bipolar, and/or Anxiety Non-suicidal Self-Injury, Self-Esteem, and Body Image Gender Identity and Expression, and Family conflict.

Piedmont Behavioral Services

We offer full spectrum of behavioral health services ranging from medication management, Individual/Group therapy, Intensive Outpatient programs (IOP), Addiction, TMS therapy and Spravato treatment. Our team consists of Child, Adult Psychiatrists and therapists.

More Treatment Centers Nearby

The Dorm: A Young Adult Treatment Community

The Dorm, Washington, D.C. is an affirming, CARF-Accredited young adult mental health treatment community on a mission to help young people build a life of independence. We serve young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 with immersive day and evening services that include clinical therapies, practical skill-building and community support. We specialize in treating substance use, trauma, anxiety and depressive disorders, eating disorders , psychotic disorders, personality disorders and supporting with executive function deficits. Personalized treatment plans scale from 3-30+ hours a week following expert assessment. Comprehensive care encompasses 1:1 therapy (licensed clinicians trained in over 11 clinical modalities including DBT, CBT, EMDR and Cognitive Remediation), individualized life skills coaching, group therapy, family therapy, nutritional support with registered dietitians, academic and vocational services, a unique community clubhouse experience with social activities and events as well as holistic health and wellness services (yoga, mindfulness, physical fitness). Supportive housing opportunities and partial residential support available.

The Barry Robinson Center

Treatment Center, MS, CSAC

As a premier non-profit behavioral health system, our residential program for boys and girls, ages 6-17, treats a wide range of mental health disorders. We also offer a dual diagnosis program for co-occurring mental health illness and substance abuse. We are TRICARE-approved, with expertise and focused concentration is helping children from military families throughout the U.S. and overseas. Our 32-acre open college-like campus on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition, The Barry Robinson offers an Intensive Outpatient program (IOP) for adolescents and young adults (18-24) with diagnoses including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD and who use drugs or alcohol. This service is currently offered at our Norfolk location as well as through Telehealth communications. Intensive Outpatient program is not specific to only military families.

The Freedom Center

Successful addiction and alcoholism treatment for those unable to attend residential rehab centers. The Freedom Center is an intensive outpatient program covering all types of drug and alcohol addiction that offers a flexible and affordable solution that has the ability to change the lives of those suffering in addiction. During outpatient treatment, clients receive therapy while continuing other life responsibilities like school, work or family responsibilities; and unlike residential programs, at The Freedom House, the client has the ability to live at home or in a sober living environment. Unlike many traditional rehab centers, our goal is to treat all of the underlying causes of addiction effectively, including trauma and mental health conditions.

Genesis House Addiction Tretment Center

We work with addict persons and their families. We have over 25 years experience in the addiction treatment field helping client recover for drugs and alcohol.

Online Treatment Centers

Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists (EDRS)

The EDRS team is composed of clinically trained, licensed professionals and recovery specialists who have expertise in eating disorders and co-occurring disorders.

Do you do really well while in a treatment program but struggle in your own environment? Do you need an individualized program that meets your unique needs We bring structure, skills, and support to you! Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists (EDRS) provides in-home, on-campus, community-based, and virtual therapeutic care and recovery support for adolescents and adults. EDRS bridges the gap between treatment and "real life" by providing support where you need it the most: in your natural environment. Support includes therapeutic meal support, therapeutic exposures, recovery reminders for accountability, support during transitions, recovery support intensives, etc. For select cities we offer individual therapy and nutrition therapy sessions. EDRS collaborates with your outpatient team or program to help you make seamless transitions through all stages of the recovery process.

See more therapy options for Fairfax

Eating Disorders Treatment Centers

Eating disorders are psychological conditions characterized by unhealthy, obsessive, or disordered eating habits. Eating disorders come with both emotional and physical symptoms and include anorexia nervosa (voluntary starvation), bulimia nervosa (binge-eating followed by purging), binge-eating disorder (binge-eating without purging), and other or unspecified eating disorders (disordered eating patterns that do not fit into another category).

If you're looking for a Fairfax eating disorder treatment center, these professionals provide eating disorder therapy and counseling in Fairfax.

Rehab in Fairfax

Clients who are looking for Drug Rehab in Fairfax or Alcohol Rehab in Fairfax can find help at a treatment center. The first step towards recovery usually requires clients to detox in Fairfax under medical supervision, and follow-up with a period of intensive therapy at the center.

INPATIENT or OUTPATIENT?

Residential inpatient treatment in Fairfax consists of 24-hour care at a live-in facility. Full treatment services, including medical and behavioral therapy, are provided all at one location.

Outpatient treatment programs in Fairfax provide flexibility to those who are unable to take time away from their regular lives, work or school. Programs typically meet at the clinic a couple of times every week for a few hours at a time.

Certain programs provide a combination of the in/out approach: Inpatient for medical stabilization, partial hospitalization for moderate cases, intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient clinics for follow-up. For instance, opiate abusers may find it helpful to begin their abstinence with a brief but intensive outpatient opiate drug detox in Fairfax.

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Fairfax Eating Disorders Treatment Centers - Anorexia Treatment Centers and Rehab Fairfax, Fairfax County, Virginia - Eating Disorders Treatment Programs Fairfax

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Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness Center Treatment Center, LCSW, CEDS We specialize in the treatment of Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Binge Eating Disorder, ARFID and Orthorexia. Prosperity is a warm, therapeutic, and friendly environment, where we provide highly effective eating disorder treatment by experts in the field.

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What Can I Do - Educators & Coaches - Eating Disorder Program - Adolescent Medicine

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What Can I Do - Educators & Coaches - Eating Disorder Program - Adolescent Medicine

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Take it Seriously

Eating disorders are illnesses that have biological and psychological components. The symptoms can be life threatening. Every organ system of the body can be damaged, including: brain, heart, kidney, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, skin and bones.

Create a Safe Environment

Create an environment where students feel safe to discuss matters privately and confidentially. Remember the saying, "We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk." Listening without judgment helps students feel safe enough to tell you what they're thinking, feeling, and doing.

People with eating disorders are 18 times more likely to die early compared with people of similar age in the general population.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

Eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.

Prevention is the First Line of Defense

Coaches, teachers, and other school personnel are role models for young people. It's important to be a resource for them. The environment you create will help students and athletes form healthy attitudes about weight, body image, nutrition, strength and even success.

Focus on Healthy Habits Rather Than on Body Weight or Fat

The factors listed below can enhance performance by improving both physical and psychological health. Emphasizing healthy behaviors in this way does not put students at risk for eating disorders.

Nutrition and Exercise - Young people need information about healthy meal planning and regular exercise, especially if they're athletes. Educate your students by providing nutritional information through the school curriculum and as part of their athletic training. Having knowledge about healthy habits will help them avoid overeating or under-eating. Some examples are:

Eat Breakfast! Grandmother was right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People who eat breakfast, eat healthier the rest of the day, have more energy, and do better in school.

Meals and snacks should be nutritional and well balanced.

Plan for a regular mealtime schedule rather than eating on the run or skipping meals. Students with unusual or no meal schedule are at risk for eating disorders.

Sleep and Rest - Young adults and teens require between 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Many student-athletes sleep less than 6 hours a day. Encourage students to form regular sleep habits. The teen lifestyle of staying up late and getting up early is difficult to change but getting enough sleep is essential to health and wellbeing, which in turn helps to maximize both physical and mental performance. Lack of sleep can also lead to:

Body aches and pains

Irritability

Difficulty concentrating

Increased appetite

Decreased resilience and performance

Substance Use and Abuse - Provide your students with information about the consequences of drug and alcohol use, and teach them interpersonal and behavior skills. Include information about:

Alcohol and prescription or illegal drugs

Nicotine

Performance enhancing drinks or supplements

Dietary or "stacker" supplements

Peer pressure

Psychological Factors - Both thinking and emotional factors can affect performance. Educate young people to resist visual and social messages that imply they should achieve unrealistic body types such as extreme thinness. Mixed messages fill the media. Ultra-thin models happily eat fast food, while the nightly news reports an increasing number of Americans are obese. Replacing these messages with an emphasis on healthy eating habits can help the student make informed decisions and good choices for their own health and wellbeing.

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What Can I Do - Educators & Coaches - Eating Disorder Program - Adolescent Medicine - Golisano Children's Hospital - University of Rochester Medical Center

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Eating disorders are illnesses that have biological and psychological components. The symptoms can be life threatening. Every organ system of the body can be damaged, including: brain, heart, kidney, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, skin and bones. Create an environment where students feel safe to discuss matters privately and confidentially.

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Ten things parents wish educators knew about eating disorders

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Ten things parents wish educators knew about eating disorders

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Blog Article - Ten things parents wish educators knew about eating disorders

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

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Overview

There is a commonly held misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice. Eating disorders are actually serious and often fatal illnesses that are associated with severe disturbances in people's eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

Signs and symptoms

Risk factors

Treatments and therapies

Join a study

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Learn about eating disorders, including types (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa), signs and symptoms, risk factors, and treatments and therapies.

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The Mamabear Approach (and introducing Mamabear Mondays)

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The Mamabear Approach (and introducing Mamabear Mondays)

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My friend Katie Maki aka Mamabear is an amazing source of nutritional rehabilitation recipes and lived experience, and her ability to refeed and get her daughter fully well while living in a remote location and with limited access to specialized help taught her a lot and she is generous in sharing that knowledge. This is Katie's and her family's story the video to accompany it (please do watch - hearing this all in her voice is powerful) is found here. Look for more great recipes and advice on Mambear Mondays!

My entire life I have been an outspoken person. I have always asked hard questions, often questions that others see as controversial. I have always had strong opinions and have questioned authority. For as much flack as I have taken for all of this, I am beyond thankful for this aspect of myself, as I have navigated through the quagmire of mental illness in my child.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Anorexia in the fall of fifth grade (in 2010 at age 10), I literally lost all confidence in myself as a mother and caregiver. I do not think one person escapes the initial shock and guilt that you feel. The "should have, could have, would haves." The "How did this happen under my watch?" I struggled with body image my entire life just like the vast majority of people in this country. I had lost a bunch of weight in the previous years and was religiously working out and running. I thought I was setting a good example. I know now that anorexia is a highly-genetically linked disease involving metabolism dysfunction. I know now that no one ever chooses to have an ED. I wish I could go back in time and have a talk with my 2010 self. It was not my fault.

My husband did a ton of research as our daughter continued to spiral and he found something called the "Maudsley Method." He found the book " Eating With your Anorexic" by Laura Collins. He wanted to try a version of this method on our own. I was too scared. Too terrified. I was full of self-doubt.

I spent every spare moment trying to find help. The majority of places that I contacted did not take ten-year-olds and they had no recommendations. The majority of therapists I called told me my daughter was "too sick" and needed to go to an inpatient facility. A few places would take her but we would be banned from even talking to her for the first 72 hours and then only allowed to see her during visiting hours. I literally hung up if I heard those words. They were seriously asking us to hand over our 10-year-old child. No way in hell was that going to happen. I did find one place that was willing to work with us. They were willing to let me stay there with her a few nights. They were willing to let me be around in the building and to hang out in the group room during free times etc. It was not by any means great, but it was the only place that was not going to do basically a parentectomy. It was 8 hours away from our rural home. I would stay with her. My husband would be home with our other two kids and keep working. We were beyond terrified.

We had actually gotten my daughter eating a few days before she went to inpatient. We had spent hours at the table with her ED screaming, crying, begging, writhing, spitting, and throwing. We had gotten her to eat that morning before she was admitted. We sat in that office during her intake talking to all sorts of people. As I watched the hours go by I finally asked if they were going to feed her lunch? By now it was like 1 pm. The psychiatrist jumped up and got on the phone and got my daughter a yogurt and a not yet ripe banana. This was the first red flag.

We met with a dietician who literally gave us plastic food and a plate and asked us to show her what we thought serving sizes were and what was a balanced meal. I was so angry. I remember my husband and I talking about how degraded we both felt.

I was given meal plans that I was to fill out for my child. They were huge papers with all sorts of numbers and requirements. We decided on day one that if she had eaten it before she got sick, then it would be fair game. I now know this is referred to as the "tear the band-aid off" method of tackling fear foods. I just looked at this as war: war against something that was trying to kill my baby. The dieticians and some staff questioned this. They thought I was pushing "too hard". As the days and weeks went on our daughter was not gaining much weight. I would beg and push for them to up her calories and fats. They were shocked that she was not gaining at 2200, 2500, 2800 calories. On this meal plan she only was required to have x number of fats. She would argue with me in the cafeteria if I added an extra tiny butter packet because she "already had 2 fats." My ten-year-old child with an eating disorder was being taught how to count fats. I was feeding my starving kid green beans and apples. It felt wrong. Everything felt wrong.

As a "reward" for completing meals, my daughter was given participation in a yoga class. All she talked about was that class. It was obvious to me from the second I heard her talk about it that her ED was going to use this as yet another way to exercise excessively. She had a severe exercise compulsion as a part of her illness. I told them no yoga. She did things like making mistakes on purpose on her homework so she could violently erase to the point of sweating. I asked the teacher to let her use a pen. I was basically told that I was seeing ED everywhere and needed to relax. They caught her doing squats. I demanded a 1:1 with her at night. Turns out, ED WAS everywhere.

During a parent support group meeting the leader said something to the effect of "They have to choose to get better. We cannot make them eat." I snapped. I said, "The Hell we can't." I left the meeting and felt in all honesty enraged. A woman came up to me with a tiny piece of paper with the website written down. She said that we seemed to be very like-minded and that this website was different. That was a game-changer. I also found the book "Brave Girl Eating" by Harriet Brown. I was becoming empowered. I was trusting in myself again. A fire started to grow in my belly. I am grateful to my husband for being patient and allowing me the time to believe in myself again.

To make a long story short, after the psychiatrist told my daughter that me leaving for less than 24 hours to go see my other two children was "abandoning her," my husband and I decided enough was enough. We decided to take our daughter home and refeed her on our own.

In the first ten days we put more weight on her than they had the entire month she was inpatient. We went from 2800 to 4000 calories the day she got home. We ramped up the fats big time. We used heavy cream, butter, and oils wherever possible. As time went on her caloric needs rose. Growth hit. It took 6000 plus calories a day for nearly three years. She grew nearly 9 inches and went through full puberty. She doubled her body weight.

In some ways I feel like we were "lucky" at that time to not really have any growth charts. We just kept going and feeding her for years until she was able to fight ED on her own. We fed her until her brain righted itself. A couple of times I thought we could maybe back off on calories and it bit us in the butt every single time.

We also live in a very rural area where there is no professional help for EDs. Our family doctor was willing to listen and learn and basically we coached her through what we wanted said to our daughter. We wanted blind weights. No talk of numbers, goal weights, or appearance. We asked our doctor to tell our daughter to "Trust mom and dad." We had no dietician or psychiatrist. Our daughter had no pre-existing issues before she got anorexia. Her OCD behaviors, severe anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations, all diminished and eventually disappeared with enough weight gain and time. She never took any medication. We used Skype to talk with an awesome therapist a few times in the beginning, and she supported our decision to stop therapy. She was too mentally ill for therapy to benefit her at that time. I am not preaching to go this alone by any means; this was just our reality. If we had needed more intervention we would have gotten it somehow.

We did our own version of exposure therapy with some of her behaviors. We got a kitten and she was only allowed to see her if she could go up the stairs to my room normally. She would do patterns of jumping and touching her toes and all sorts of things when using stairs. We worked on it for a few days here and there. My husband would hold her torso and I would physically move her legs one at a time on the stairs. Then she asked me "Mom, if I run up the stairs one step at a time can I see my kitten?" I said yes. She then spent about a half an hour talking to herself and her eating disorder out loud. She was crying and taking deep breaths. All of a sudden she did it! She ran up those stairs one stair at a time, one foot at a time. She got to the top and was beaming! She never did that particular behavior again. It was like that with a lot of behaviors.

We learned to "speak ED". Things like when we went out to eat and my daughter would beg me to get her anything but French fries. That was really her way of telling on her ED. Her ED did not want to her have them so that meant I needed to require that she eat them. This happened many times along the journey. We learned quickly that when we found rotting food or found out she was dumping her lunch it meant that she just was not ready for any independent eating. It was again her way of telling on her internal bully. We ate lunch with her nearly daily for the majority of 2.5 school years. We looked at food as her medicine. She needed every dose every day.

If she spat out a bite, it was replaced. If she picked apart a bun then she got a new one. If she was caught exercising she got 3 warnings and then a shot glass of Ensure. I slept with her for a year to keep her safe at night. Then she slept in bunk beds with her little brother for about 6 months. We sat outside of the toilet and the shower. We did everything in our power to prevent that eating disorder from getting its way.

None of this was easy. It was Hell. It was exhausting. But in the end, it worked.

It took a solid 3 years of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks to get our child to a point where she could battle those ED thoughts on her own. Then it took a couple more years of being ever vigilant. If we felt the ED hairs stand up on the back of our necks or that familiar pit in our stomachs, we jumped on it. That part sucked. You just want so badly for it to be over.

We also dealt with some really scary risk-taking behavior when my D was in middle school. Her old friend group turned on her. People told her to kill herself. She was sneaking out with older kids doing all sorts of stupid things. So just like we did with ED, we circled the wagons. We tightened the reigns. And we loved her fiercely through it.

I guess there are some fundamentals to parenting a mentally ill child with an eating disorder that I feel very strongly about.

Separate the ED from the person. They are not their eating disorder. I imagined a black mass with long gnarly talons standing behind my daughter whispering lies into her ears. Your child is not a liar, ED is. That bastard was going down.

Go to war. There will be hundreds of battles in this war but ultimately all that matters is that you win more than you lose. You will lose some. Put the hardcore work in upfront and stay the course. Do not back off.

Accept that you will make mistakes. But these mistakes are not failure. They are simply the feedback needed to change something.

There will be many times that you have to fight your parental instinct to just give into the ED. As a parent, all you want to do is relieve your child from their pain and anxiety. In this situation, we must do the opposite. We have to calmly push them to face it head-on all day every day. We must fight their eating disorder for them until they are strong enough to start to do it on their own. It is the hardest work I have ever done. It is a selfless act. I used to jump in front of my mirror like a boxer and put cold water on my face before facing ED. I would say, "Bring it. You will not get my child. We will beat you."

Give up on timelines. It takes as long as it takes. When you feel stuck, tweak something.

Figure out where the holes are and close them. Figure out a new strategy.

TRUST YOUR GUT. Once you learn the basics of how this process works, trust your gut even when you desperately want to ignore it.

Be a united front even when you aren't. FAKE IT. Talk about it later but in that moment you must be a team against the ED. ED will take advantage of any and all cracks it sees in you. It will try to play you against each other. This is true for spouses, siblings, friends etc.

Expect that some people in your life will choose to not understand how this illness works and why your life has turned upside down. They will not understand how sick your child truly still is after gaining back some weight. Let these people go. You need not waste energy.

Demand that your medical professionals on your team are practicing based on the most current evidence-based science. Be your own advocate. Read everything you can. Be the captain of the ship. This doesn't mean that you need to be adversarial, but do not fall victim to the white coat syndrome. Solid ED help is hard to find. Join support groups online. There are some fabulous ones. Join F.E.A.S.T. and the Around the Dinner Table Forum. The people on that forum helped us save our child. Laura Collins deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for being a pioneer for the rest of us.

Do not settle for anything less than a full recovery. Do not ever give up. It is never too late.

And finally; Experts by experience are your greatest help.

-People who have sat at that damn table.

-People who have loved a child fiercely through it all.

-We do not just sympathize with you; we empathize with you.

Chances are that if we have not gone through something similar, we know someone who has. We can find information and connect you. We can offer you a safe place to vent and cry while at the same time picking you up and dusting you off to get back in that ring.

Our daughter has been in recovery now for several years. She is a sophomore in college and is thriving. She wants to be a relationship and sex therapist. She has an awesome girlfriend. She is a talented musician who released her first album this year. She is healthy and happy and self- assured. She is my hero. She is a sparkle.

As life continues to throw curveballs at us, and it sure has, we know that everything we learned from our battle to save our child is somehow relevant and useful. It helps us with our other children and situations they face. It helps us with our own battles.

I would not wish this upon my worst enemy, but at the same time, I try to look at what benefits came from it. My family is tight. Our relationships are strong. We take nothing for granted. And my children know that we will love them fiercely through anything. We will not give up on them. Mama and Papa bears fight to the death for their cubs.

From JD: Many thanks to the Maki family for their openness and willingness to help others facing this fight. It's important and it changes things for the better even as it can be difficult. Daphne is living her best life today and that includes nurturing her musical career; you can listen to her music .

Daphne is not the only lyricist in her family; this is a Mamabear poem on their journey.

The days were long, the nights were longer

The demon inside trying to grow stronger

I held it down, we held each other

An embrace of steel between child and mother

And even when the voice was loud,

Enveloped by that dark black cloud

I knew that you could hear my plea

I knew that you would come back to me

Your battered soul knew to trust in me

To let me kill the thing we could not see

Only guided by my unconditional love

And unseen angels from above

" To the moon and back" we'd always say

As your true soul grew stronger every day

The tears we cried could fill an ocean,

The highs and lows of raw emotion

We've learned so much about what matters

And it's not money or cars or corporate ladders

It's the salt in our tears and the blood in our veins

Because after the battle, all that remains

Is the steel embrace as we hold each other

The unbreakable love between child and mother

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The Mamabear Approach (and introducing Mamabear Mondays)

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My friend Katie Maki aka Mamabear is an amazing source of nutritional rehabilitation recipes and lived experience, and her ability to refeed and get her daughter fully well while living in a remote location and with limited access to specialized help taught her a lot and she is generous in sharing that knowledge.

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by: Katie Maki ( aka Mamabear) I have noticed so many parents with kids in the 9-14 age range lately who are being told to…

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8 Hours from Treatment Providers: We had no team. We were the team.

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8 Hours from Treatment Providers: We had no team. We were the team.

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By Katie Maki (adapted from an Around the Dinner Table Facebook post April 2020)

I was thinking about how this pandemic has basically forced families of eating disorder kids to do what my family was pretty much forced to do because of our insanely rural location in 2010-2011. We were eight hours from any Family-Based Treatmen t providers. People ask me "how we did it on our own."

we had no team-we were the team

Here are the basics:

we turned our house into an inpatient setting

bathroom door open

I sat on a stool outside of the shower

I made her talk to me while in shower

I slept with her in the same bed at night. I had a jingle bell tied to my doorknob.

3 meals and 3 snacks all fully supervised

we threw out the exchange sheets and went to my " grandma's farmhands" plan. We fed my kid like my grandma fed the grown men who worked on their huge farm in 1950. Full-fat dairy, pies, potatoes, stews, eggs, bread, cheese, etc.

stopped all unnecessary exertion (no exercise)

used shot glass of Ensure as a replacement after 3 warnings

tackled some OCD type behaviors using our own exposure therapy

she was never left alone (she was 10.5).

ex1) Got physically between her and heat vents so she could not tap her big toe in a pattern ED demanded etc., breathed through it with her, got her through the panic. Used " in your face technique" face to face eye contact and breathing while gently cupping her face in my hands) (I'm a doula- my skills came in handy).

Ex2) got a kitten. She could only see the kitten if she went up the stairs normally without her rituals. Took several days of dad holding her torso while I moved her legs one at a time. Then day 3 or 4 she asked if she could run up the stairs to see the kitten as long as it was one foot at a time etc. We said yes. She did it after half an hour of having a conversation with her ED out loud. (never did that behavior again). We chose specific behaviors to tackle at a time.

threw all parenting " rules" out of the window. My other two kids were allowed to eat in front of TV in another room on another floor of our house. We didn't do a lot of family meals until ED was a lot more tolerable. ( that was HARD on my 12-year old who ended up having to deal with her 6-year-old brother a lot when dad was at work). But you do the best you can. Lots of video games were played, movies were watched, etc. You just do your best.

we did blind weights at home. A few times a week we gave no warning. Woke her up in am, asked her to pee ( open door), get on scale backward in T-shirt and undies). I did not respond to questions. Just a simple " thank you".

kept adjusting calories for a minimum 2-pound a week gain. Had to keep increasing over a few months to 6000 when growth/puberty kicked into high gear.

we did have a family doc who we basically asked to do and say what we needed her to. On occasion, we took D in for a check-in (so we had some documentation (and would ask for blind weights and for the doctor to say " trust mom and dad".

we had an AWESOME therapist from 10 hours away who we did some Skype sessions with but after about three it was obvious it was a waste of time because our daughter needed food and weight gain and the therapy was useless. The therapist agreed. We could contact her when we wanted/needed to. The few times I did she would just help us by validating what we were doing. If you have virtual therapy right now and it helps you- that is AWESOME!

my entire life 24/7 was shopping, cooking, sitting at the table, distraction. And tackling behaviors. And trying to keep my other two kids ok and attend to their needs. My husband was awesome when home but also worked 30 hours at a crack, 2 hours away, 8 times a month (and day 2 when he got home he had to sleep). So he was pretty much gone half of the month.

It was hard as hell. It was exhausting. I had Ensure stains on the ceiling for years, spaghetti in my hair, broken dishes, fingernail marks in my arms. But it worked. 30 pounds and about 4-6 months later almost all of the most intense behaviors were gone. Still, of course, worked hard for many more years to combat growth/puberty/ and get to full recovery, but those first six months were the most intensive..in some ways "easier" than the following three years because we " knew" what we had to do.

I'm not "promoting" going rogue. I know many of you have really great teams and are devastated by what's happened due to COVID ......but I just want you to know that having to do this largely at home is possible...is hardcore.... and is truly in keeping with what the core of FBT is.

Kind of like Dorothy at the end of the Wizard of Oz: she had the power in those ruby slippers the whole time.

I'm so in awe of how hard all of you in the trenches are working and your ingenuity in all of the ways you're dealing with this quarantine. I'm sending you all of my love and supportive vibes.

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8 hours from treatment providers: we had no team. we were the team. - FEAST

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By Katie Maki (adapted from an Around the Dinner Table Facebook post April 2020) I was thinking about how this pandemic has basically forced families of eating disorder kids to do what my family was pretty much forced to do because of our insanely rural location in 2010-2011.

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By Katie Maki

I am noticing so many forum posts again by parents of 9-12 year olds and I feel the need to respond.

It baffles my mind that now 11 YEARS after my then ten year old was diagnosed, families are still being told their child is " the worst we've ever seen" or " we have not seen these behaviors before," etc.

We were told our daughter had psychosis and possible early onset schizophrenia with anorexia secondary.

SHE HAD ANOREXIA.

It is NORMAL for these young kids to exhibit quite intense behaviors. Kids in this age group in particular seem to exhibit very psychotic behaviors when malnourished. Some of these behaviors are things like:

-Auditory hallucinations (they "hear" the eating disorder's voice as separate from themselves)

-Visual hallucinations. My kid called it " the blackness". She would scream at me " Why can't you see the blackness? It is right there!"

- Extreme exercise/movement compulsion. Cannot sit down EVER. Constant moving of arms and legs. My daughter was extreme in this part of her eating disorder.

-Constant " playing" like cartwheels and handstands and trampoline jumping etc. but it is manic in nature.

-Talk of death. My kid insisted I know which dress to bury her in. She kept saying that the eating disorder told her the only way she'd ever be rid of it is if she was dead. She did not self harm, but that is also common.

-Panic attacks (terrifying)

-Anxiety

-Depression

- OCD ritualistic behaviors surrounding movement, counting, etc. (e.g. my kid had to run around the van a certain amount of times and then jump into the van with both feet until it " felt right" and then squat in the seat. She had a zillion of these behaviors.)

-Violent outbursts (my kid hit her head on windows, punched her dad in the jaw, spat in my face etc. and frankly she was mild compared to many).

-They require insane amounts of food and fats and high calories for YEARS. My own kid needed 6000 from age 11-14 a day. She ate like an Olympic athlete.

-They often have no idea what has happened to them. It often did not start having anything to do with a desire to lose weight etc. My daughter told her sister before she was diagnosed that she "had no idea what was happening to me. All I knew was I could not eat and food was scary." She started to restrict "junk food" and exercise more as a result of school nutrition and my own weight watchers brainwashing that she watched from the sidelines. No, it is not my fault, but yes, it was part of the trigger.

Of course sometimes there are pre-existing co-morbids like anxiety, and those must be addressed, but MANY of these behaviors I listed above fade and disappear completely with enough weight gain and time AT a high enough weight WITH continuous gain for growth. My kid grew 9 inches, doubled in weight, and went through full puberty from 11-14.

For my kid, it all went away. The only thing I'd say is that she still has in some anxiety, but she handles it with tools she learned and her music and a therapist. She's thriving and about to graduate from college.

In my experience, the only way out is food. For years and years. And it is exhausting and relentless but it is so worth it because they have a really high chance of beating the eating disorder and getting into a long lasting full recovery when they are well nourished throughout all of those teen years and have a solid foundation for being on their own.

So please take some comfort knowing that these quite literally insane and terrifying behaviors are not abnormal.

Your child is not the exception.

The younger kids' brains react differently. And they also have the potential to form so many billions of new neural connections as their brains are still changing so much.

These kids' weights are MOVING TARGETS for YEARS!

I think that there is really no such thing as " weight restored" as the second you get them to this weight you are officially already behind the ball. And remember almost all medical professionals will set this "target" too low to begin with. Their metabolism is broken. They do not gain and then grow like a normal kid. They will grow and lose or stay the same which is the same as losing. We have to be their artificial brain for them until theirs rights itself in regard to growth/metabolism.

A good rule of thumb for girls is to feed to a period and add 15 pounds. The weight they get their period is often the weight they will lose it.

You can't go by size of parents. For example, I have a son who is six feet 3 inches. My husband is 5'10 and I am 5'8.

Bottom line is these young kids need a ton of food. Feed them like an Olympic athlete. High fats and calories for the long run.

Eventually their body will right itself.

Eventually they will reach full growth.

Eventually they will morph into adults.

And plenty have seen growth in height into late teens/early adulthood (especially in boys).

We had no growth charts.

We just kept going.

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Young Kids And Extreme Behaviors - FEAST

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By Katie Maki I am noticing so many forum posts again by parents of 9-12 year olds and I feel the need to respond. It baffles my mind that now 11 YEARS after my then ten year old was diagnosed, families are still being told their child is " the worst we've ever seen" or " we have not seen these behaviors before," etc.

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Negative Energy Balance: A Biological Trap for People Prone to Anorexia Nervosa

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Negative Energy Balance: A Biological Trap for People Prone to Anorexia Nervosa

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For most people, negative energy balance (expending more energy than you consume) is an unpleasant state. Negative energy balance, even in the form of a delayed meal, can lead to hunger, grumpiness, irritability, shakiness, cognitive fuzziness, anxiety, and low mood. Because of these generally unpleasant feelings, many people try to avoid negative energy balance. The story is quite different for people prone to anorexia nervosa. For them, negative energy balance can be a dangerous biological trap.

The world has "psychologi zed" the quest for negative energy balance in anorexia nervosa for far too long. Convenient but misguided explanations that focus on control, willpower, and even stubbornness fail to capture the biological reality that the physical experience of negative energy balance is fundamentally different in people prone to anorexia. The starvation state is alluring to them, not because it signals weight loss, but because it is anxiolytic. That means that negative energy balance actually confers a sense of calm on their otherwise unsettled biology. What makes the rest of us more anxious makes them less. Obviously, the job of providers is to help them be able to achieve that sense of calm in other ways-ways that are not physically harmful.

This aberrant response to negative energy balance might be what kicks off anorexia in the first place, and it may be a salient risk factor for relapse.

Imagine a group of sixth grade girls who decide to go on a diet. Or imagine a boys' wrestling team that decides to engage in some serious crash dieting before weighing in for a meet. Most of the girls and boys find the period of negative energy balance unpleasant and can't wait to break the diet and go out for pizza and ice cream. For a few, however, they find that they actually feel better under negative energy balance conditions. The diet feels good; they feel calmer. The anxious chatter in their heads diminishes enough to suggest that this might be an escape route from the pervasive discomfort with which they have been living. The positive biological reaction to negative energy balance lures them into continued and escalating dieting in a quest for the paradoxically improved sense of well being that it confers. It is simultaneously seductive and destructive. It is seductive because of the promise of calm and control it holds; it is destructive because it has the power to kill.

During and after recovery, negative energy balance can sneak up and grab hold of you without even being aware that you are in its grip. Starting a new exercise program, travel and the attendant time zone changes and disruptions in routine, or a busy schedule that doesn't allow times for planned meals and snacks can all blindside you into experiencing just a whiff of the seductive calm that mistakenly leads you to believe that starvation holds an answer to your discomfort. Don't be duped. Starvation is a false friend that does not have your long-term best interests in mind.

My dad used to smoke. For the longest time, even though he had become a vociferous anti-smoker, he would occasionally catch a whiff of a cigarette and be transported back to those days in the 50s when he could reach for a cigarette.

Anorexia is no different. Just dabbling in negative energy balance, especially under times of stress, can tempt. So maintaining vigilance for balanced energy intake and output is a critical component of long-term recovery. Tipping that balance in the wrong direction could send you back down a dangerous path. Every one of us who has had health issues has to remain vigilant for situations that can exacerbate a problem-even problems that we think we have completely recovered from. Nothing makes us stronger than being aware of our vulnerabilities and respecting them.

Especially during the holiday season, when schedules are irregular and emotions are closer to the surface, be mindful of your own energy balance and seek out positive avenues to capture calm.

Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED

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Negative Energy Balance: A Biological Trap for People Prone to Anorexia Nervosa

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For most people, negative energy balance (expending more energy than you consume) is an unpleasant state. Negative energy balance, even in the form of a delayed meal, can lead to hunger, grumpiness, irritability, shakiness, cognitive fuzziness, anxiety, and low mood. Because of these generally unpleasant feelings, many people try to avoid negative energy balance.

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An estimated 30 million people in the U.S. have an eating disorder in any given year. Despite the stereotype that eating disorders affect predominantly young women and teens, nearly one-third of those with eating disorders are men. More than 13% of women over 50 also engage in disordered eating. It's an issue that impacts all communities. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, from February 25 through March 3, highlights the problem and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Wellness, Health Promotion & Prevention team encourages people to get screened online, at no cost and confidentially encourages people to , at no cost and confidentially, through our website.

In the last 30 days, of those individuals in our community who took the online screening for disordered eating through our website, 45% scored "at risk" and 27% "may be at risk."

Some eating disorders include:

Anorexia Nervosa - characterized by an obsessive fear of weight gain, which can lead to calorie restricting, purging calories, and compulsive exercise.

Binge Eating Disorder - characterized by frequent and compulsive overeating, marked by distress and lack of control.

Bulimia Nervosa - characterized by bingeing and purging food.

Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED) - there are many ways in which people might engage in disordered eating behaviors, and sometimes they don't fit neatly into a defined disorder. This can include body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive thoughts related to body size, and orthorexia, a preoccupation with healthy eating, "clean foods," and excessive exercise.

Eating disorders are mental health conditions with physical symptoms. Like any mental health disorder, there are barriers to treatment, with more than 70% of those with eating disorders not getting help.

Eating disorders are the most fatal mental health disorders, both because of the physical complications of disordered eating, and because it leads some of its sufferers to suicide. Additionally, according to the National Eating Disorder Association, eating disorders affect people from all demographics and all ethnicities; people of color are significantly less likely to receive help for their eating issues. But with screenings, early detection, and treatment, up to 80% of those who get help for an eating disorder are able to recover or improve significantly. Treatment can vary widely and could include therapy, group sessions, guidance from nutritional professionals, or medication. Someone with an eating disorder will also be living with another mental health disorder, like anxiety or bipolar disorder, and so working with a mental health professional can make it easier to address all causes of disordered eating.

Take an online mental health screening and share this link with others in your life. You might not know who could be silently struggling with disordered eating: http://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/northern-virginia.

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Disordered eating habits are real. Reach out for help.

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An estimated 30 million people in the U.S. have an eating disorder in any given year. Despite the stereotype that eating disorders affect predominantly young women and teens, nearly one-third of those with eating disorders are men. More than 13% of women over 50 also engage in disordered eating.

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Warning Signs & Symptoms of an Eating Disorder

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Warning Signs & Symptoms of an Eating Disorder

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Warning Signs & Symptoms of an Eating Disorder

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Decoding Anorexia: How Breakthroughs in Science Offer Hope for Eating Disorders

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Decoding Anorexia: How Breakthroughs in Science Offer Hope for Eating Disorders

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What is Compulsion and How Does it Relate to Eating Disorders?

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What is Compulsion and How Does it Relate to Eating Disorders?

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What is compulsion?

A compulsion is a type of behavior or a mental act that a person engages in to reduce anxiety or distress. Typically, a person feels compelled or driven to perform an act of compulsion to ease the distress associated with an obsession to prevent a dreaded situation, for example, excessively exercising to prevent weight gain.

Compulsions typically don't provide pleasure or gratification, although an individual may experience some temporary relief from engaging in them. ¹ They usually engage in what may seem like trivial or repetitive actions and have obsessive thoughts about certain things.

What is compulsive eating?

When looking to define compulsion in terms of eating, contrary to how it appears, compulsive eating is not about hunger. It's typically a way a person copes with difficult feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Compulsive eating is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, rather, it's a complicated disordered behavior that can present as a sign or symptom of different eating disorders. ²

Compulsive eating, also called binging, is considered when an individual eats large amounts of food in a single sitting or by 'grazing' when someone continually snacks throughout the day. ² They may experience an irresistible impulse or have an irrational motive to eat compulsively.

Bulimia and binge eating disorder

There are two eating disorders where one of the primary characteristics is compulsive eating: bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED).

In both BN and BED, a person engages in recurring episodes of binge eating which is defined by:

Eating an amount of food in a short period of time that is significantly more than what most people would eat in the same amount of time.

Feeling out of control when eating.

Signs and symptoms of compulsive eating

There are some signs and symptoms that could indicate you or your loved one is compulsively eating. However, it's important to be aware that displaying just one or two of these signs doesn't necessarily point to compulsive eating. 2,3

Behavioral and environmental

The behavioral and environmental signs and symptoms of compulsive eating include but aren't limited to:

Feeling out of control when eating

Feelings of guilt and shame after an episode of compulsive eating

Stealing or hoarding food

Fear of eating in social situations or with others

Evidence of binge eating, such as discovering missing food or lots of empty wrappers

Creating schedules or rituals for compulsive eating

Repetitive behaviors when it comes to eating

Feeling compelled to eat even when not hungry

Physical

Some of the physical signs and symptoms of compulsive eating include:

Noticeable fluctuations in body size and shape. Weight may go up or down

Gastrointestinal issues, such as acid reflux, nausea, or diarrhea

Difficulty concentrating

Complications of compulsive eating

Those who have an inner drive to compulsively eat without engaging in purging behaviors, like self-induced vomiting, over-exercise, laxative/diuretic use, or fasting, typically are above the normal weight range. This is associated with an increased risk of developing a number of health conditions, including: ⁴

Metabolic syndrome

Heart disease

Type 2 diabetes

Certain types of cancer

Stroke

Joint and muscle pain

Sleep disturbances

There are also emotional and psychological health risks associated with compulsive eating such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. ⁴

Compulsive eating vs. binge eating disorder

There remains some confusion as to whether there is a difference between compulsive eating and binge eating disorder. This is primarily because compulsive eating and binge eating disorder are extremely similar in the symptoms described by those who struggle with food in this way.

What it typically comes down to is the frequency of binges. If compulsive eating is something you do on occasion, then you probably don't meet the diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder, where compulsive eating behaviors occur with regularity at least three times a week.

Even if you only engage in compulsive eating every now and then due to emotional distress that doesn't mean that it's something that should be ignored. There is no telling if your emotional and compulsive eating behavior may develop into a full-blown eating disorder if left unchecked.

Therefore, if you do experience episodes of compulsive eating, no matter how infrequently, reach out for help and support. With professional help, you can address the root causes behind the reasons behind your urge to compulsive eat and find better coping mechanisms for your emotions.

Other examples of compulsive disordered eating behaviors

Binging isn't the only compulsive behavior associated with eating disorders.

Exercise compulsion

Those with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa often engage in purging behaviors to compensate for unwanted calories. One of these purging behaviors is exercise compulsion, which is exactly what it sounds like, a drive to excessively exercise to influence body size and weight.

Exercise compulsion, also sometimes referred to as exercise addiction or exercise bulimia, is often used in place of self-induced vomiting.

Key signs that you may have exercise compulsion are that you schedule your life around exercise, and feel intense anxiety and distress when unable to exercise. Other signs and symptoms include: 5,6

Exercising despite injury illness, or other medical complications

Frequent exercise at inappropriate times with no attempt to suppress the behavior

Exercising for hours each day and intense fear in states of rest

Refusing to eat if unable to exercise afterward

Not taking rest or recovery days

Exercising when fatigued

Prioritizing exercise over other commitments

Self-esteem dependent on perceived physical fitness, body weight, and body size

Being defensive if someone questions how much you're working out

Exercise compulsion can offer temporary positive reinforcement. Physical activity increases endorphin levels (the feel-good chemicals) which provides you with a sense of well-being. To chase the 'high' you continue to exercise excessively, despite the fact that you're compromising your health.

The most significant dangers of extreme exercise are overuse syndromes, such as stress fractures, menstruation irregularities, low heart rate, and osteoporosis. ⁷

Other physical health consequences of exercise compulsion include:

Tendonitis-a painful inflammation of the tendons

Dehydration

Electrolyte imbalances

Arthritis or chronic joint pain

Heart issues, including arrhythmia

Weakened immune system

Fatigue

Infertility and other reproductive issues

Exercise compulsion can also have a significant effect on a person's mental health. Psychological complications of excessive exercise include anxiety, depression, perfectionism, low self-esteem, withdrawal from relationships, and more.

Purging disorder

The act of purging itself can become compulsive in a condition known as purging disorder. This other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED) is characterized by engaging in compensatory behaviors after eating, as well as deep-seated feelings of shame and self-loathing. ⁸

Purging disorder becomes compulsive when engaging in compensatory behaviors becomes addictive. For example, self-induced vomiting can actually change a person's brain chemistry, boosting serotonin levels and releasing endorphins. ⁸ This can result in a 'high' that those with purging disorder are driven to recreate following a meal.

Purging is typically implemented to relieve feelings of anxiety and being out of control but can exacerbate both in the long run. Other psychological consequences of purging disorder include mood swings, irritability, and depression. The different forms of purging often have similar physical side effects, which include: ⁸

Dehydration

Electrolyte imbalances

Dental issues

Swelling of the throat

Rectal bleeding

Chronic diarrhea

Constipation

Vital organ damage

Laxative misuse or abuse

Overuse of laxatives is another form of purging that can become compulsive. It can be difficult for someone to stop using laxatives because their body has become reliant on them to produce bowel movements. ⁸

Getting help for compulsions and eating disorders

It can be quite hard to tackle compulsions associated with eating disorders on your own. You might swear that you're never going to binge eat or exercise until exhaustion again, but then the urge hits again and you feel powerless to resist. However, unless you break the cycle, you're putting your physical and mental health at risk.

The sooner you reach out for professional help for your compulsive eating disorder behaviors, the better your long-term outcomes will be. The most common form of treatment for compulsive eating disorder behaviors and their associated disorders is therapy.

Various forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and group therapy, are utilized to help a person work towards understanding the underlying causes and triggers of their compulsive behaviors and the impact they have on their lives.

Additionally, professional eating disorder treatment will also address any co-occurring conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, and health complications to help improve overall recovery outcomes.

We understand that seeking help for your compulsive behaviors is difficult and may involve a period of withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, we believe that anyone in treatment should be met with compassion, empathy, and support, where they are given a safe space to talk about their concerns without judgment.

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What is Compulsion and How Does it Relate to Eating Disorders?

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What is compulsion? When looking to define compulsion in terms of eating, contrary to how it appears, compulsive eating is not about hunger. Learn more here.

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Important Health Authorization Forms including Epipen and Inhaler Authorization forms can be found here.

Changes to FCPS Asthma Process

FCPS is implementing a new asthma care process beginning SY2022-23.

FCPS Wellness Newsletter

Learn about the latest updates to the student and staff health and wellness policy. Also includes basic summer safety measures and skills to improve mental wellness for the whole family.

COVID-19 Related Information

Health Authorization and Health Information Forms

Used to give school the authorization to dispense medication to a student.
Please submit the English version of this form to your school for processing.
Por favor, envíe la versión en inglés de este formulario a su escuela para su procesamiento.

Parent/health care provider authorization for the administration of epinephrine to a student with anaphylaxis.
Please submit the English version of this form to your school for processing.
Por favor, envíe la versión en inglés de este formulario a su escuela para su procesamiento.

Used to authorize school employees to follow a student's Virginia Asthma Action Plan.
Please submit the English version of this form to your school for processing.

NOTE: This form must be submitted with the Virginia Asthma Action Plan. Both forms must be completed and provided to the school.

Used to collect health information yearly on a student.
Please submit the English version of this form to your school for processing.
Por favor, envíe la versión en inglés de este formulario a su escuela para su procesamiento.

SCHOOL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

FCPS addresses the needs of the whole child through services that are student-centered and enlist the support of our most valuable resources: families and communities.

Learn more about School Health and Wellness

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The School Health Advisory Committee assists with the development of health policy in the school division and the evaluation of the status of school health, health education, the school environment, and health services.

Learn more about the School Health Advisory Committee

About School Health Services

Our comprehensive school health program has eight elements, touching all aspects of the school experience and having potential to have a significant impact on students' health knowledge, attitudes, and values. Leadership for each of these elements is provided by several departments within the school system and by the health department. The health department acts in a consultant role to support the services provided by the divisions within the schools.

Health Education provides a sequential grades preK-12 instructional program addressing the physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions of health.

Physical Education serves as a means for students to develop strength, coordination, and cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, as well as for social development, stress reduction, and movement appreciation.

Health Services promotes the health of students and school staff members through prevention, early intervention, and remediation of specific health problems.

Counseling provides broad-based prevention and intervention programs to promote the physical and psychological health of students and faculty.

School Environment creates and maintains facilities that enhance the physical and psychological well being of students. It also provides school clinics to manage injuries and illnesses of students and staff members.

School Nutrition promotes good nutritional practices both within and outside the school settings (breakfast and lunch programs and nutrition education in the classroom).

Employee Assistance Program (Staff Wellness) provides school staff members with the opportunity to take active roles in maintaining and achieving optimal physical and psychological health.

School and Community Agencies integrates health and education professionals in the school and community to provide and support improved school health programs.

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Our comprehensive school health program has a positive impact on the learning process by reducing health-related barriers to learning.

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Feed Your Instinct (FYI) is an interactive tool designed to support parents of children and young people experiencing different types of eating and/or body image problems.

Eating problems are defined as a change in a person's regular eating patterns. This may be a variation in when they eat, how much they eat or what they eat. Sometimes, people will change their eating pattern in response to body image problems. People may believe their self-worth is linked to their body shape and size, and can become preoccupied by this. Multiple factors can contribute to these problems, including specific personality traits, genetics and changes in mood or social difficulties.

FYI aims to highlight common warning signs and provide useful information about eating and/or body image problems. It will also provide you with guidance on how to help your child with these problems at home, and suggest options for further support.

In order to get the most help from FYI, we suggest you take time to read through each of the modules and complete the eating and body image checklist.

FYI has four modules:

Eating: This module looks at eating patterns, food choices and attitudes towards nutrition.

Wellbeing: This module looks at physical health and unhelpful weight control behaviours.

Thinking: This module looks at thinking patterns and personality traits.

Feeling: This module looks at relationships and social interactions.

We have designed each module to help you decide if you need to be concerned about your child, understand what might be happening for them and provide suggestions about what to do.

The FYI Eating and Body Image Checklist outlines some behaviour changes you may have noticed in your child. Once the checklist is completed, FYI will generate a personalised report with a summary of the information you have provided and suggested strategies for you to implement. We hope that this report will help you make a decision about how to act on your concerns. It is not safe to 'watch and wait' with possible eating disorders in young people. In addition, FYI will generate a separate printable summary for you to take to your family doctor/GP to help communicate your concerns.

Eating and/or body image problems can occur in young people from the age of 6 years old and onwards. Throughout FYI, we will use the terms 'child' and 'young person' interchangeably.

We recognise that families are unique, and that the guidance provided on FYI may need to be considered in relation to your own families' situation and the age of your child. Parents may find they need to become more proactive than they usually are in guiding their child's behaviour in order to help their child overcome their problems.

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Feed Your Instinct - Relationships with food, weight or their body

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Feed Your Instinct (FYI) is an interactive tool designed to support parents of children and young people experiencing different types of eating and/or body image problems. Eating problems are defined as a change in a person's regular eating patterns. This may be a variation in when they eat, how much they eat or what they eat.

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Academy of Eating Disorders Video Library

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Academy of Eating Disorders Video Library

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Screening Tool - National Eating Disorders Association

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Emotional and Mental Wellness for Families

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Emotional and Mental Wellness for Families

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Shaping the Conversation Around Eating Disorders

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Shaping the Conversation Around Eating Disorders

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ttps://podcasts.chconline.org/episodes/shaping-the-conversation-around-eating-disorders/?utm_source=CommEdWeekly_20240515&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=email&chcclid=496208-210926984

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consejos de conversación para los amigos y la familia

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consejos de conversación para los amigos y la familia

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Trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo (para Padres)

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Trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo (para Padres)

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Larger text size Large text size Regular text size

¿Qué es el trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo es un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria relativamente nuevo. Los niños con un trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo son sumamente quisquillosos al comer y, a veces, les interesa muy poco comer alimentos. Es posible que coman una variedad muy limitada de alimentos preferidos, lo que les puede llevar a un escaso crecimiento y a una mala nutrición.

El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo suele empezar a edades más tempranas que los demás trastornos de la conducta alimentaria y es más frecuente en los varones.

¿Cuáles son los signos del trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

Los niños con trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo se pueden clasificar en tres categorías:

Algunos niños son sumamente selectivos con lo que comen y tal vez tengan reacciones extremadamente negativas a los olores, los sabores, las texturas y los colores de los alimentos. Quizás tengan mucho temor a los nuevos alimentos, algo que recibe el nombre de "neofobia" y les causen miedo las experiencias negativas relacionadas con alimentos que no conocen.

Es posible que algunos niños tengan un desinterés generalizado por la comida y tengan muy poco apetito o sientan que comer les causa poca o nula satisfacción. Con frecuencia, estos niños niegan tener hambre.

Otros niños tienen miedo de lo que podría ocurrir si comen; por ejemplo, sentir dolor, atragantarse o vomitar.

Algunos niños con el Trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo solo pertenecen a una de estas categorías, mientras que otros pueden pertenecer a más de una.

Muchos niños con este trastorno tienen bajo peso. Otros alcanzan un peso normal, pero tal vez su dieta sea tan limitada que no crezcan o interfiera con la escuela, la familia y su vida social.

Los niños con trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo son más proclives a tener:

¿Qué problemas puede haber debido al trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo puede llevar a tener problemas derivados de la desnutrición. Los niños con este trastorno pueden:

no ingerir suficiente cantidad de vitaminas, minerales y proteínas

necesitar alimentarse por sonda y con suplementos nutricionales

tener un escaso crecimiento

tener un retraso de la pubertad

La falta de nutrición asociada al trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo puede causar:

mareos y desmayos debido a la baja tensión arterial (o hipotensión)

pulso lento

deshidratación

debilitamiento de los huesos (osteoporosis) y de los músculos

dejar de tener la menstruación (amenorrea)

¿Cuáles son las causas del trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

Se desconoce cuál es la causa exacta del trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo. Muchos expertos creen que se debe a una combinación del temperamento, los genes y los acontecimientos desencadenantes (como un atragantamiento). Algunos niños con trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo tienen una enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE) esofagitis eosinofílica, alergias u otras afecciones que pueden generar problemas de alimentación.

Comprender el trastorno alimentario de su hijo

Obtenga más información sobre qué es un trastorno alimentario, cómo se trata y las formas en que los padres pueden ayudar a sus hijos a recuperarse.

¿Cómo se diagnostica el trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

Si un médico cree que un niño podría tener un trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo, lo examinará y preguntará sobre su salud (antecedentes médicos), hábitos de alimentación y de ejercicio físico, y sobre temas emocionales.

Los médicos y los profesionales de la salud mental se fijarán en:

una importante pérdida de peso o imposibilidad de crecer

la presencia de déficits nutricionales importantes

falta de apetito, falta de interés por la comida o evitar comer

Los síntomas no se pueden deber a la falta de acceso a los alimentos (inseguridad alimentaria), otro trastorno de la alimentación (como anorexia) u otros problemas médicos. Los niños con trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo también tienen miedo o están preocupados por su peso.

Los médicos pueden pedir análisis de sangre, análisis de orina o un electrocardiograma (ECG) para evaluar la presencia de otros problemas médicos.

Si usted cree que su hijo podría tener un trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo, hable con su médico. Abordar esta afección lo antes posible es la mejor manera de tratarla con éxito.

¿Cómo se trata el trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo?

Lo mejor es que el trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo sea tratado por un equipo de profesionales especializados en trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, formado por un médico, por un dietista o nutricionista y un terapeuta especializado en trastornos de la alimentación. El tratamiento puede incluir asesoramiento nutricional, cuidados médicos y terapia para comer bien. Si al paciente le preocupa atragantarse, un logopeda puede hacer una evaluación de deglución (tragar) y alimentación.

Los principales objetivos del tratamiento son:

Alcanzar y mantener un peso saludable y patrones de alimentación saludables.

Aumentar la variedad de alimentos ingeridos.

Aprender maneras de comer que no se asocien al miedo de sentir dolor o atragantarse.

Los médicos pueden recetar medicamentos para aumentar el apetito o para tratar la ansiedad. Si la ansiedad es un problema, el terapeuta enseñará al niño y a la familia maneras de abordar las preocupaciones relacionadas con los alimentos.

La mayoría de los niños diagnosticados con este trastorno pueden recibir tratamiento en casa, pero algunos se deberán someter a un programa hospitalario más intensivo. Quienes tengan una importante pérdida de peso y desnutrición o graves problemas de salud deberán recibir tratamiento en un hospital. Algunos niños con trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo se tendrán que alimentar por sonda o tomar fórmulas nutritivas para poder obtener las calorías y las vitaminas que necesitan.

El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo puede ser difícil de superar, pero aprender a comer de manera saludable y abordar los miedos puede ayudar a los niños y adolescentes a encontrase mejor y a comer mejor. Cuando toda la familia trabaja unida para modificar las conductas relacionadas con la comida, lo más probable es que el niño consiga superar este trastorno.

¿Cómo pueden ayudar los padres?

El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo va acompañado de emociones y preocupaciones intensas relacionados con los alimentos. Apoye a su hijo y favorezca las actitudes positivas sobre el ejercicio físico y la nutrición en casa. Pruebe los siguientes consejos:

Sea un buen ejemplo para su hijo. Sirva y coma una amplia variedad de alimentos.

Programe comidas y colaciones regulares.

Coma con su familia con regularidad. Mantengan el buen humor en la mesa y eviten los conflictos y enfrentamientos durante las comidas.

Anime a su hijo a probar nuevos alimentos, pero no lo fuerce a comer.

Recompense las conductas positivas relacionadas con la comida.

Encuentre maneras de gestionar la ansiedad y el estrés sobre los alimentos. Hacer un par de respiraciones profundas puede ayudar a su hijo a relajarse. El yoga, la meditación, la música, las artes plásticas, el baile, la escritura o hablar con un amigo pueden ayudar a manejar el estrés.

Mantenga la calma y evite culpar a su hijo o criticarlo por sus problemas para comer.

Si lo preocupa que su hijo pueda tener un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria, llame a su médico para pedirle consejos. El médico les puede recomendar a profesionales de la nutrición y de la salud mental que tengan experiencia en el tratamiento de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en niños y adolescentes. También puede encontrar apoyo e información en línea en:

Apoyo con las comidas para los trastornos alimenticios

Apoye a su hijo durante el tratamiento de un trastorno alimentario aprendiendo formas de hacer que las comidas sean más llevaderas.

Fecha de revisión: abril de 2023

padres

niños

adolescentes

MÁS SOBRE ESTE TEMA
para padres

MÁS SOBRE ESTE TEMA
para niños

MÁS SOBRE ESTE TEMA
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Trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo (para Padres)

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El trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo es un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria. Los niños con un trastorno de alimentación restrictivo o selectivo comen una variedad muy limitada de alimentos preferidos, lo que les puede llevar a un escaso crecimiento y a un escaso nivel nutricional.

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Alimentación y trastornos alimentarios - Child Mind Institute

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Alimentación y trastornos alimentarios - Child Mind Institute

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Alimentación y trastornos alimentarios - Child Mind Institute

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Las dietas extremas o comer en exceso, así como una intensa atención al peso son algunas de las señales más comunes de que un niño o adolescente podría tener un trastorno alimentario.