男孩和饮食障碍

青少年在学校跑道。
If your child is overly interested in exercise and weight loss, then he could have an eating disorder. 照片由Getty Images

问题:我的儿子是13/2岁。他总是超重,而且大多数像麦当劳或比萨饼一样吃的垃圾食品。当他开始经历青春期时,他长4英寸,损失了25磅。问题是他已经痴迷于他的体重,并继续减轻体重。他的最高体重是169岁,现在他下降到117磅。他也完全改变了他的饮食。他已经成为健康坚果,一直练习。我没有问题那部分。

I am very worried since he is all skin and bones and seems to be very happy about the weight loss. He says he can't get skinny enough. What can I do? All of his relatives keep telling him that he is now "too skinny," including his pediatrician. He only eats healthy foods, but maybe not enough. How can I get him to gain some weight back? Isn't 117 pounds too thin? Meryl, Brooklyn, NY

答:在他的年龄,117磅实际上只是平均水平。这并不意味着它对他来说是一个健康的体重。而不是看着孩子的体重,更重要的是要知道他们的身体群众指数。

Eating disorders are common though and many people believe that they have reached epidemic levels. By some estimates, about 5% of women and 1% of men suffer from an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. And since most of these eating disorders began in the teen years (76% between age 11-20 and 10% in children less than 10 years of age), parents and pediatricians should learn how to recognize, prevent, and treat children with eating disorders.

饮食障碍可能导致严重和生命危及生命的医学(营养不良,脱水,肾脏,心脏和肝脏损伤)和心理问题(抑郁症,自尊,焦虑,焦虑差),因此早期识别很重要。

Could your child have an eating disorder?

你的孩子体重不足吗?

BMI的儿童通常被认为是体重不足的。

对于他的体重,他已经不得不超过6英尺高,虽然在第5位低于5百分位数,所以他的体重可能会没事的。

Is he that tall? Since you describe him as being so skinny, he may very well be...

了解他的BMI更重要,这将考虑他的身高和体重,而不仅仅是他的体重。

饮食障碍的迹象

您实际上提到了许多常见的迹象和症状,这些迹象和症状会引起一些担心您的儿子或正在开发饮食障碍,包括他:

  • 仍然继续减肥,即使他现在'太瘦了'
  • Has an obsession with his weight
  • 所有的时间练习
  • May not be eating enough food and getting enough calories

Although some of what you mention might be normal, especially that he wants to exercise, eat healthy foods, and be a 'health nut,' the fact that he feels that 'he can't get skinny enough' should probably be considered a big warning sign.

In general, you might suspect that a child has an eating disorder if they have any of the following classic symptoms, such as:

  • 体重体重,减肥,或通常不等。请记住,即使是健康体重的儿童也可以享受饮食障碍,这取决于他们正在做的重量。孩子们甚至可以超重,患有饮食障碍。
  • 强烈地担心获得体重或变胖,特别是如果您的孩子体重不足
  • Having a disturbed body image, meaning that your child thinks that he or she is overweight, even though they are really underweight or at a healthy weight.
  • Episodes of binge eating
  • Trying to prevent weight gain by performing self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise.
  • 拒绝吃和不断节食

具有更细微迹象的儿童可能更难以诊断或发现。这些饮食障碍的明显迹象可能包括:

  • Broken blood vessels in the eyes
  • Development of food rituals
  • Disappearing after meals (perhaps to vomit)
  • 戏剧性的体重波动
  • Exercising compulsively
  • Excessive facial hair
  • 脱发
  • Mood swings
  • 不想在其他人身边吃饭
  • Perfectionist-type personality, or if a teen, high achiever in school
  • 拒绝吃某些食物
  • 对寒冷的敏感性
  • Skipping meals
  • Swollen salivary glands
  • Taking OTC or natural weight-loss medications
  • Tooth decay
  • Wearing loose clothing to hide weight loss
  • Withdrawn behavior

Screening for an Eating Disorder

If you spot some of the early warning signs of an eating disorder in your child, you might ask some screening questions to get more information. According to the National Eating Disorders Screening Program, these include:

  • 你害怕超重吗?
  • 你有没有在吃繁灵的地方,你觉得你可能无法停止?
  • Do you feel extremely guilty after eating?
  • Do you vomit or have the impulse to vomit after meals?
  • Do you feel that food controls your life?

美国儿科学院也建议询问您的孩子:

  • 您认为自己是什么权衡?
  • 你曾经曾有哪些?那你有多高?那是什么时候?
  • What is the least you ever weighed in the past year? How tall were you then? When was that?
  • 运动:多少,经常,强度水平?如果你错过了锻炼,你有多强调?

您的孩子对这些问题的答案可能会帮助您发现他或她是否有任何厌食症或贪食症的症状。你也可能会问你的孩子是否有饮食失调。并不要忽视年轻孩子的警告标志。

请记住,10%的饮食障碍的人在10岁之前开始开始。所以即使你的8或9岁的孩子担心发挥肥胖或谈论节食,寻找他或她可能吃饮食的其他红旗紊乱。

此时,您的孩子可能需要从健康专业人士进行进一步的评估,该专业人员具有治疗饮食障碍的青少年的经验。登记的营养师可能是一个良好的开始。如果他真的想要健康而不只是薄,他们可能能够帮助他计划健康的饮食,并确保他获得足够的卡路里,维生素和其他营养,保持健康,并继续正常生长。

辅导员,心理学家或精神科医生也可能会有所帮助,你的儿科医生也可以达到帮助,特别是如果他们一起发展了良好的关系。

如果您不确定带您的孩子,国家饮食协会提供了一个推荐服务并且可以为您提供“您所在地区的医生,营养学家,辅导员和住院和/或门诊设施。”

支持和Pro-Bulimia信息

令人惊讶的是大多数医生和父母,有许多组织和网站实际倡导或鼓励青少年吃患者并变得厌食症。这些包括Pro-Anorexia(Pro-Ana)和Pro Bulimia(Pro-Mia)网站,包括包括模型和名人的图片,这些图片和名人看起来非常薄(超薄的Celebs),减肥的尖端和隐藏其饮食失调的提示,名单“安全食品”没有许多卡路里和食物,这些食品可以增加你的新陈代谢(如芹菜和绿茶),论坛和聊天室与其他'Pro-Rexies'交谈。

他们还支持消息,如'没有什么味道像薄的感觉一样,'失去重量不会治愈的东西,“有关于”厌食的乐趣“,”贪食之美“的文章,如何“互相教导如何演奏危险的游戏”,以及如何弄清楚每天需要的最小卡路里数量以保持活力。他们还有自己的ANA食物金字塔,主要由水,减肥药,饮食苏打水,咖啡和香烟组成,建议使用食物“谨慎”。

他们有规则,例如“薄诫”和“ininspirations”。

  • Does your teen know what a pro-ana or mia is?
  • Does she know who the 'dragonflies' are (a large community of pro-anas)?
  • Is she trying to be an ana or mia?
  • 他或她是否参观过任何饮食失调(Pro ED)网站?
  • 他或她是否有ANA期刊或日记?
  • 他或她开始穿着一个红色的手镯作为“与其他ANAS的团结”的“东西”?
  • 你的孩子是否明白厌食症不是选择,而不是瘾?

如果您认为您的孩子正在努力成为ANA或MIA或有其他饮食障碍的迹象,则进一步评估很重要。

男性吃障碍

虽然饮食障碍在青少年女孩和年轻女性中更为常见,但男性也可以发展饮食障碍。雌性饮食障碍的发病率似乎也在上升,因此还有很重要的是考虑青少年男孩和年轻人的饮食障碍。

A Word From Verywell

试图弄清楚你的孩子/青少年是否有饮食失调可能是非常紧张的,但有资源可以帮助支持你和seek treatment on their behalf。如果您怀疑您的孩子有一种饮食障碍,那么迅速行动很重要。首先预约与孩子的儿科医生一起预约,他们可以帮助检测饮食失调的早期迹象,并防止它进展。

Many parents benefit from the support of other parents with children with eating disorders. Good support resources for parents include NEDA’s Parent, Family & Friends Network(PFN)and theF.E.A.S.T.'s Around the Dinner Table Forum。还有一些Facebook组,包括International Eating Disorder Family Support

如果您的孩子有饮食障碍,请联系国家饮食障碍协会(NEDA)热线在1-800-931-2237的支持下。

为了更多的心理健康万博手机客户端资源,看看我们的National Helpline Database

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