If we talk about the causes of disorders eating behavior in children (not including the group of newborns), there may be several of them:

• presence or beginning of development colds, rotavirus infection;
• presence of other pathological processes in organism;
• defects in the structure of the face and jaw;
• stressful conditions.

But the reasons listed indicate a decrease in appetite and the child’s refusal to eat. However, eating disorder may also manifest itself as overeating. The manifestations of this form of eating disorder include: nervous and mental disorders.

In addition, such disorders may be associated with changes that have occurred in the brain and metabolic abnormalities.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a child having an eating disorder include:

• refusal of food;
• binge eating;
• change in taste preferences (perverted taste);
• decrease in summer weight or increase in body weight.

Signs of an eating disorder may be accompanied by other symptoms that may more clearly indicate the presence of a disorder in the functioning of an organ or an entire system, or the presence mental disorders child.

Diagnosis of an eating disorder

First of all, the doctor listens to the child and his parents, studying existing complaints about the patient’s eating behavior. Often a child, especially a teenager, does not see any problem, so it is important to talk with parents. Important information is how the child’s behavior changes during the day (maybe he eats at night), how long ago problems with eating behavior began and after what events.

• Next, the doctor analyzes the child’s life history. In a conversation with the parents, the doctor finds out whether there were any similar cases (hereditary factor), whether the child has had head injuries, and whether he plays sports.
• An essential step in the presence of alarming signs is to perform a physical examination of the patient, during which the doctor determines changes in the child’s body weight. With prolonged lack of nutrition, the doctor notes such signs as pallor and dryness skin and mucous membranes. When overeating, the patient becomes obese, which can be at different stages.
• Among laboratory tests You may need to donate blood, feces, urine, often in connection with eating disorders called biochemical analysis blood, and a test to determine blood glucose.

You may also need the help of a neurologist, psychotherapist, dentist, jaw surgeon and other specialized specialists.

Complications

The presence of consequences of eating behavior in a child is due to a variant of this disorder.

• So, for example, if there is a decrease in appetite, a permanent decrease in body weight can occur, this complication can lead to cachexia (a state of serious exhaustion that is life-threatening), with increased appetite Obesity may occur.
• The integrity of the skin may be compromised due to a lack of nutrients cracks form on the skin with decreased appetite; when overeating, scars may appear on the skin due to rapid stretching with a strong increase in the patient’s body weight.
• suffer protective functions body (weakening immunity).
• Everyone's activities are disrupted internal organs due to lack useful substances or excess adipose tissue.
• Violated mental activity, for example: memory decreases, learning ability deteriorates, the speed of thinking slows down due to a lack of nutrients when refusing to eat.

• Feeling of psychological discomfort, including sleep disturbance.

With timely medical care consequences and complications can be avoided.

Treatment

What can you do

If you notice unusual eating behavior in your child, you should consult a doctor. Is it not possible to force him to persuade him to eat something or, on the contrary, to abstain from food? Maybe the problem is not in his character, adolescence or personal taste, but much deeper?

Parents should be alerted to changes in the child’s weight, fixation on a certain idea related to nutrition, and aggressiveness when they try to convince him.

What does a doctor do

The main principle of getting rid of an eating disorder is to treat the cause of the disease.

Therefore, in each individual case, different methods are used. So, when refusing food, look at what reasons led to this. Indicated for physiological problems drug therapy, surgery may be prescribed.

If a child has a disability endocrine system, then the treatment is prescribed by an endocrinologist.

In case of psychogenic symptoms, the child must be observed and corrected by a psychiatrist or neurologist.

In case of overeating, diet therapy may be prescribed.

Prevention

Preventive measures They cannot completely eliminate the occurrence of this problem, but they will reduce the risk of their occurrence. It is necessary to ensure that the child sleeps properly, walks a lot, spends time on fresh air, healthy moderate physical exercise, it is important not to have bad habits teenagers All this can affect the child’s appetite and improve his eating behavior. An important aspect is the stability of the psychological background. After all, sometimes eating disorders arise as a kind of protest against something.

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Arm yourself with knowledge and read a useful informative article about the disease of eating disorders in children. After all, being parents means studying everything that will help maintain the degree of health in the family at around “36.6”.

Find out what can cause the disease and how to recognize it in a timely manner. Find information about the signs that can help you identify illness. And what tests will help identify the disease and make a correct diagnosis.

In the article you will read everything about methods of treating such a disease as eating disorders in children. Find out what effective first aid should be. How to treat: choose medications or traditional methods?

You will also learn what can be dangerous untimely treatment the disease of eating disorders in children, and why it is so important to avoid the consequences. All about how to prevent eating disorders in children and prevent complications.

And caring parents will find on the pages of the service full information about the symptoms of eating disorders in children. How do the signs of the disease in children aged 1, 2 and 3 differ from the manifestations of the disease in children aged 4, 5, 6 and 7? What is the best way to treat eating disorders in children?

Take care of the health of your loved ones and stay in good shape!

Anorexia and bulimia are diseases that affect not only adults, but also children. The most susceptible to eating disorders are adolescents over 15 years of age and adults under 25 years of age. However, children younger age may also experience bulimia, binge eating, or anorexia. How can you tell if your child is suffering from an eating disorder?

According to a study, only 56% of children aged 3 to 12 years have normal weight. 18% of children are overweight, 13% are obese, and 13% are underweight.

Finally, 3 out of 10 children are overweight.

This is why it is so important to understand what category your child is in, monitor their weight as they develop, and pay attention if the indicator is above or below normal age limits.

Anorexia nervosa

When a child suffers from anorexia nervosa, he severely limits his food intake or avoids it altogether, often to limit his water intake in order to keep his weight as low as possible. In addition to this, other methods are used to lose weight. This may be vomiting, exhaustion in gym or using medications such as laxatives and diuretics to “get rid of” excess calories.

Criteria for diagnosing anorexia

• Inability to maintain body weight within a normal range based on gender and age.
• Excessive fear of obesity.
• Body image disturbance, e.g. the impression created primarily by teenagers that their body is plump, despite its low weight.

How to understand that a child suffers from anorexia?

Experts explain that although eating disorders are obvious, parents often ignore them because various reasons, for example, because there are other problems in the family, etc. In any case, the signs may be as follows:

Children suffering from anorexia continue to show miracles of remarkable endurance and can do everything they did before, such as ballet, gymnastics, etc.

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is associated with eating disorders and is considered the most common because the number of patients with bulimia nervosa is higher than with anorexia nervosa.

People suffering from bulimia have the following three main characteristics. They consume excessive amounts of food with overeating and regular intervals between them, and although they want to control the process of eating, they feel helpless. After eating, they either induce vomiting, drink laxatives, or use other methods to feel better. They are very concerned about their weight, they want to lose weight, and they are very unhappy with their reflection in the mirror.

Unlike patients suffering from anorexia, people with bulimia have a normal body weight compared to their age. Most cases begin in adolescence(from 13 to 19 years old), and in last years there are cases in more at a young age. Research shows that bulimia is more common in the female population and that up to 4.2% of women have bulimia at some point in their lives. Additionally, children suffering from bulimia are very active during the day and never lose weight.

Binge eating

Binge eating is a very common eating disorder in children, which is characterized by the child’s desire to constantly eat. The child experiences inexplicable nausea, eats secretly, hiding foods, and steals foods that most often fit into the “forbidden” category.

The child may overeat in front of their meals, becoming constantly overweight, or they may develop obsessions with food, worship, or worry about certain foods.

Other symptoms of eating disorders:

There are eating disorders that are not classified in any of the above categories, but they do have some characteristic symptoms, which parents should note:

How to help your child

According to psychologists, The first thing to do if any of the above symptoms are noticed is to understand what is happening to the child. In most cases, children with eating disorders suffer both physically and psychologically. Consider whether there is anything that may be affecting the child mentally or emotionally and talk to them.

Devote more time to your child than usual to be close to him, communicate, do common things and even cook together!

In any case, discuss your problems and observations with your pediatrician, who, if he deems it necessary, will recommend a dietician or a good psychologist, which will help the child practically.

Don't be afraid and add me to

Many children with eating disorders are in extremely difficult situations and their quality of life is extremely low. However, at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, important steps are being taken towards defeating this disease. Here at the Department of Child Psychiatry, these patients can undergo a comprehensive treatment program consisting of individual, group and family therapy. This makes it possible to find the source of the patient’s problems and thus bring healing closer.

In addition, the department employs pediatricians, psychiatrists, consultants, nutritionists and nurses who support patients and their families. Patients typically spend about six months in the program, during which close attention is given to all of their medical and psychological problems. The department even has a training room staffed by certified teachers and a trainer with special knowledge of physical education for children with eating disorders.

Innovative approach

Such innovative approach really gives hope. While most eating disorder treatments have an success rate of about 50%, the program medical center Shiba this figure is closer to 60%. This is an astonishing statistic considering that most patients have already undergone treatment and it has not worked. About 70 patients undergo the program annually; To date, more than 1,500 children have completed it.

Department of Psychiatry at the Children's Hospital named after. Edmond and Lily Safra accepts patients no older than 19 years of age into the eating disorder treatment program. The department has all the necessary medical and diagnostic equipment; it can simultaneously treat up to 21 patients. If you have a child or teen in your family who is suffering from an eating disorder, contact Sheba Hospital today to begin their journey to recovery.