Disordered eating is an umbrella term that is used for a wide range of eating problems such as poor eating, loss of appetite or irregular eating behaviours. One of the most widely known eating disorders is Anorexia nervosa.
Given below are some of the common signs and symptoms of anorexia:
- Skipping meals due to the fear of gaining weight
- Feeling guilty or ashamed whenever you are eating
- Compulsive eating behaviour, loss of control around food
- An obsession with maintaining a certain sort of body image
- Food restrictions
- Fasting or exercising to make up for all the bad food decisions
Table of Contents
Findings of the Study
Researchers organised a group of people that were suffering from binge eating, purposeful vomiting to lose weight and other sorts of disordered eating so that they are able to not gain weight.
Almost 5% of the population was involved in binge eating and 2.5% used strict measures to control weight. Amidst the rumours that girls are at a higher risk of getting disordered eating, boys are at an equal risk of getting this disorder.
Children who were on the edge of puberty or had high body mass index were facing a high risk of eating disorders.
Dr Stuart Murray who is the associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California said this about the key prospects of the research:
“It’s important for parents/guardians to be aware that disordered eating can impact boys, as well as girls. Parents and healthcare providers often follow the stereotype that eating disorders don’t apply to boys. This stigma can make it even harder for boys to talk about their symptoms and feelings about their body, so for parents, being vigilant to the signs of observable disordered eating behaviours is critical in helping boys.”
He also added that “these data suggest that children — both boys and girls — who experience puberty earlier than their peers, may be vulnerable to disordered eating behaviours.”
“Early development, and the physical growth that this entails, may portend feelings of ‘being bigger’ than peers, which in turn can drive engagement in disordered eating behaviours,”
According to doctors at Faisal Hospital Faisalabad parents have a greater edge in the prevention of these matters as they should be more attentive toward children who have a higher body mass index.
Dr Sulman Aziz Mirza who is registered on the board of psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine specialist commented that this behaviour is also apparent in children and adolescents alike
“Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours usually start to emerge in this age range.
We know that early puberty, especially in girls and furthermore in Black/ Latino girls, can result in very apparent body/ weight changes, which can lead to some of these behaviours,”
Future Prospects and Study Limitations
One of the major lacking factors was that the parents were asked to submit the data which means that some information can be skipped because of lost medical history. Then the prevalence is very little which may rule out some of the meaningful matters.
Dr Caz Nahman, a consultant child and psychiatrist said that
“There has been a significant increase in presentations of ‘atypical anorexia nervosa.’ Patients present with significant body image concerns, mental and physical health consequences of restricted eating and rapid weight loss, distress, preoccupation with shape, weight, and thoughts about food, in young people and adults who are at a healthy weight or even an above average weight range.”
Dr Mirza then weighed on the subject matter that age also matters: “While 9-10 is not too young to have disordered eating behaviours, additional age groups could have been studied too. For example, ages 11-12 years, 13-14 years. It would have also been useful to compare pubertal maturation, as 9-10 years is considered early for puberty. More so than ages, I think pubertal maturation is a more appropriate variable to compare,”
Prevention can Save Lives
As we have already stated that prevention is always better than cure thus the main step is to educate parents on these matters. Dr Murray said that “Educating parents to [recognize] the signs of disordered eating behaviours in children is critical.”
“For instance,” he said, “it can be challenging to separate a binge eating episode from normal growth-spurt-related eating. Similarly, educating parents on how to talk to their children about body image, particularly among those who develop earlier than their peers, is essential.”
He also said that “We need to develop significantly better interventions around being overweight/obesity, as dietary restrictions don’t seem to work that well and have such potential to harm. But above all, we need preventative work around body image and self-esteem and more research in this area.”