How to Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder
Ever worried about your teenager struggling with an eating disorder? You may not be sure exactly what they are going through, but you have noticed changes in their eating habits. These may include extreme weight loss, obsessive calorie counting, excessive exercise, and self-criticism about their body. Understandably, you hope to help your teenager beat an eating disorder. Our therapists in NYC at Mind Connections are here for you!
What is an Eating Disorder?
Like our bodies, eating disorders can take many shapes and forms. According to the APA, “an eating disorder is any disorder characterized primarily by a pathological disturbance of attitudes and behaviors related to food, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.” If a teenager asks “Do I have an eating disorder?” it is important to learn different eating disorder types.
Types of Disordered Eating
Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves severe restriction of food intake leading to significant weight loss and an intense fear of gaining weight. People with this eating disorder may also have a distorted body image due to “neurological differences in their parietal cortex, the part of the brain that helps people sense the dimensions of their bodies.”. Other symptoms include excessive exercise, obsessive calorie counting, and avoiding certain foods.
Bulimia Nervosa:
If your teen has this disorder, they would binge eat, consume large amounts of food at once, often and partake in purging behaviors such as taking laxatives, making themselves throw up, or engaging in excessive exercise after. Individuals with bulimia may also have a distorted body image and feel a lack of control over their eating habits. Other symptoms can include tooth decay, gastrointestinal problems, and dehydration.
Binge Eating Disorder:
If your teen struggles with binge eating theyw ill usually consume large amounts of food in a short period of time without making themslevs purge. People with this disorder often have feelings of shame, guilt, and loss of control. Unlike bulimia, there are no purging behaviors following binge episodes.
Emotional Eating:
Emotional eating is when someone eats to cope with stress or emotions rather than hunger. Stressful events can trigger it and are not about filling the stomach. People who struggle with emotional eating may find it difficult to stop even when full.
Eating Disorder Symptoms
Teens may have some common eating disorder behaviors. Specifically,
Signs your Teenager may be Dealing with an Eating Disorder include:
- Rapid or significant weight loss
- Obsessive calorie counting, food restriction, or excessive exercising
- Skipping meals or avoiding social situations involving food
- Cooking meals for others without eating
- Struggles with body image or distorted self-image
- Behaviors of withdrawal, isolation, anxiety, depression
- Physical symptoms like weakness, dizziness, fainting, irregular menstrual cycles, or dental problems.
Eating Disorders Causes
Different factors may contribute to disordered eating, including,
1. Genetic reason. People who have a sibling or parent with an eating disorder seem to be at an increased risk of developing one. Research has found that differences in brain structure and biology may lead to disordered eating, such as levels of neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin.
2. Personality traits. Particularly, neuroticism, perfectionism, and impulsivity are often linked to a higher risk of developing an eating disorder.
3. Cultural influence, including media promotion of thinness, perceived pressures to be thin, and cultural preferences for thinness.
How to Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder
Watch How You Speak
If you want to help a teenager in your life who may be dealing with an eating disorder, the first step is to be mindful of how you talk about food around them.
Research suggests that your kids are highly perceptive and sensitive to what you say around them. It is crucial to be mindful of our language when speaking around teenagers, as they are actively listening and absorbing the content of our conversations. Negative comments about body image, such as calling someone “fat,” can be internalized by teenagers, leading to destructive self-image issues. Therefore, it is vital to speak positively about our bodies and avoid negative language. Remember, you never know who may be listening.
When speaking, it’s essential to be mindful of your words. Avoid referring to food as “good” or “bad” – food is simply food. Also, refrain from commenting about celebrities’ or anyone’s bodies when around them. It’s best not to comment on their appearance, such as saying, “You look so awesome now that you lost weight,” or “You look too skinny- eat a cheeseburger!” These types of comments can have a negative impact on the person experiencing them.
Teach Them About Body Neutrality or Acceptance
The Body Neutrality Movement is about accepting your body for what it is and appreciating it even when you don’t necessarily love it. As discussed in our article about accepting your body, fitness instructor Bethany Meyers talked about this idea in her TED Talk. Any person can look at their body and feel horrible in it. Meyers urges people to strive toward body neutrality in their lives. Body neutrality promotes the idea that even on our worst days (when we dislike our bodies), we still will treat them with respect. What do you think of this idea?
Let Them Know That Healing is Not Linear
If your teenager is experiencing an eating disorder, it is essential to offer your support through the ups and downs. Remind them that the healing process is not always straightforward, and they may have times when they feel like they are making significant progress and other times when they feel like they have taken steps back. Let them know that their progress is important regardless of where they are in their journey and that you believe in them.
Help Them Find Ways to Cope Healthily
Here are some ways to help your teenager beat an eating disorder with healthy coping skills like:
Teach Them About Developing Emotional Regulation Skills
Shriver et al. mention that developing high emotional regulation skills in kids can be a good way to help them stop stress eating. Depression and anxiety can also be at risk for adolescents who deal with their emotions poorly. This is another reason why good emotional regulation skills are important to have. In a nutshell, identifying and accepting your emotions is a very important step. It includes both positive and negative emotions, particularly those difficult emotions we could not handle. To learn more about emotional regulation, read our article.
Help Them Explore Hobbies, Activities, and Interests
When your teen feels stressed or sad, doing something they enjoy can help them refocus their attention on a healthy outlet. For example, if your teen is struggling with emotional eating, they can try listening to their favorite album or painting with watercolors. Instead of eating, other things will start to calm them down and make you feel better. Finding new hobbies can help people who emotionally eat when they are bored.
Also, Mindfulness has been shown to help people lower their anxiety. Mindfulness allows someone to escape from their stress and focus on the calmness and stillness of the present moment.
These practices can be easy and fun to do! Yoga, mediation, journaling, and going on a mindful walk can all be simple enough to do whenever you feel stressed. To learn more about these mindfulness practices read our article.
Eating Disorder Treatment
Helping your teen to seek professional help is an important step in the healing journey. Specifically, treatment options may include:
Psychotherapy such as Individual, group, or family therapy
Evidence-based therapy approaches are proven to be effective. Specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective approach to help reduce or eliminate disordered eating behaviors such as binge eating, purging, and restricting. CBT involves learning how to recognize and change distorted or unhelpful thought patterns.
In more recent years, mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy has helped teens to be more mindful with eating.
Medications.
A psychiatrist may recommend treatment with medications to help treat an eating disorder or concurrent mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.
Nutritional counseling
A dietitian could help your teen to learn proper nutrition and eating habits. It may also involve restoring or managing a person’s weight if they have experienced significant weight loss.
Most Importantly…Support Your Teen
Let your teenager know you’re there to help them with their eating disorder. Make sure they feel comfortable talking to you without feeling ashamed or judged. Even though it’s natural to be concerned, try not to make your teenager feel worse. Rather, assure them that you’re available to listen and support them through this challenging time.
Finding support groups can help your teen feel like they are not alone and have other people to relate to. Therapy can also be beneficial for someone with that disorder.Our team at Mind connections would love to support you! A therapist can help you deal with any eating disorder or body dysmorphia you face. You deserve to live a happy and healthy life – one that allows you to be kind to your body and treat it with care.
Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June Cao