It’s a familiar thing to hear “oh my god I’m so fat, I need to lose weight, I look gross.” But words like these can be early signs of an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are becoming more and more common amongst teens. According to the American Health Association, 1 out of 2 kids in America struggle with eating disorders, weight and body image.
There are many types of eating disorders. Anorexia, bulimia, anemia and binge eating are the most common.
Anorexia is when the body goes into starvation mode. Bulimia is when the body allows someone to eat as much as they want and not get full but eventually vomiting is caused by this over eating.
Many people develop an eating disorder around the ages of 13-17 years old (American Health Association). This is because kids have the pressure of hormones, body changes, emotional and physical stress.
Young adults look to food for comfort just like drug users look to drugs to feel normal.
These disorders are much more serious than people think; it’s not just about not eating right, but it’s also putting your body at risk. Common side effects of all these disorders are brittle bones, swollen joint, teeth decay, lightheadedness, hair lose, and fingernail breakage.
Treatments for these disorders can be as simple as just trying to eat well, but to fix this it involves intense therapy and counseling. It also involves not just the mind but the body willing to try and change.
It’s important for not just young adults, but also their parents to be aware of the signs of eating disorders. Just remember this can happen to anyone.