Eating disorders in teenagers
Eating disorder hotline: 1-800-442-4673
My name is Tanishka Kaul and I am in Grade 10 from Sreenidhi international school. I have taken it upon myself to learn more about eating disorders in teenagers and how they can affect a person's well-being both mentally and physically. This website is to introduce you to a deeper understanding of how your body works and to give some insight to those who seek help understanding their difficulty with facing an eating disorder. However....... What is an eating disorder?
What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Eating disorders are extremely common amongst teenagers and they can have a tremendous effect on an individual's life. An eating disorder in a teenager occurs in many different ways however, it is usual for many young minds to have a social media platform. These platforms represent women and men in an unhealthy/unrealistic way. These unrealistic standards usually lead up to a major case of body dysmorphia. Though.......What is Body dysmorphia?
Body dysmorphia is a mental illness that involves your mind perceiving your body in a different and much more negative way than it actually is. Many people that go through eating disorders often also struggle with body dysmorphia as they have a strong link to each other. Individuals that struggle with eating disorders usually perceive their body in a different way which causes them to undergo mental illnesses and struggles that can lead to starvation, bulging, etc. People with this disorder may frequently examine their appearance in a mirror, constantly compare their appearance with others, and avoid social situations or photos. They also compare themselves with celebrities and influencers as they post unrealistic body standards on different social media platforms. Body dysmorphia (BDD) doesn’t necessarily revolve around weight as many people have a negative outlook on their general appearance and find themselves obsessing over each and every detail.
What is Body Dysmorphia?
Types of eating disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa or Anorexia is the lack or loss of food as a medical condition. Individuals who are suffering from Anorexia nervosa are known to resist food and are often malnourished. It’s an emotional disorder characterized by an obsession with the desire for weight loss by refusing to eat. When a person has anorexia, they try to maintain a below-normal weight through the use of starvation or an immense and unhealthy amount of exercise. Due to the lack of food needed in these people’s bodies, they can experience behavioral changes, depression, anxiety, etc
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Symptoms of Anorexia - Anorexia can usually be self-diagnosed as symptoms include trying to stay at a below-normal weight through starvation or too much exercise. However, physical symptoms include -
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Dehydration
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Dizziness
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Fainting
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Fatigue
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Low body temperature
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Feeling cold
Recording of somebody who had gone through a similar experience -
Bulimia
Bulimia is a mental disorder similar to Anorexia. Bulimia is characterized by a distorted body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, which results in extreme overeating are followed by fasting or self-induced vomiting or purging. Bulimia is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People that have been diagnosed with this condition binge eat and then take steps to avoid weight gain. This usually means purging, however, it can also mean excessive exercising or fasting.
Symptoms - Bulimia can be Self-diagnosed as people with this condition often binge eat which then leads them to take drastic measures to avoid the weight gain. Most commonly this involves purging, however, it can also mean excessive exercise or fasting. Though physical symptoms include -
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Binge eating
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Compulsive behavior
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Impulsive
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Self-harm
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Purging
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Lack of restraint
Recording of somebody who had gone through a similar experience -
BED - Binge eating disorder
BED, also known as Binge eating disorder, is a mental illness in which an individual compulsively binges on food due to various causes. It is a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort) in which there is a strong feeling of loss of control. This eating disorder is closely related to Bulimia as one of the symptoms of Bulimia is BED. Out of the other two eating disorders, BED is known to be the most common eating disorder affecting 2.8 million people today.
Symptoms - BED can also be self-diagnosed like the rest of the eating disorders. Individuals struggling through BED often feel a loss of control over themselves over how much they might be consuming. There is also a strong feeling of discomfort and hatred towards one's self after a binge. Though physical symptoms include -
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Bloating
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Abdominal pain
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Obesity
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Nausea
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Low energy
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Sleepiness and Sluggish
Eating disorders around the world
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, up to 70 million people (both male and female) suffer from eating disorders. The largest continent that experiences eating disorders is Asia and the largest country is Japan. This is based on the Westernization of fashion, beauty ideas, television, social media as well as industrialization and urbanization of Asia
Hong Kong is another country that has many people with eating disorders. Based on the Chinese University of Hong kong, over 80% of people are "scared of being fat". In return, there are suppressed diets or overexercising is omnipresent in society. Of this percentage of the population, roughly 3 percent will develop serious eating disorders.
How does Social media have an impact on Teenagers?
"Social media allows us to look into many people's lives and it's where society is free to be open-minded about vast topics such as body image. On social media platforms, many people are often judged based on the way they look, their opinions, as well as their beliefs. The opinions that people are allowed to present themselves with, allow for a lot of teenagers to suffer from anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.
One of the most alarming factors of social media is that it is immensely addicting. Teenagers along with grown adults, crave the view of positive comments and increased likes on a post, as your mind subconsciously registers it as a reward for meeting “the society's standards”.
“Societies standards” is a term used to describe the standard that society expects from you. Many men and women are forced to be highly pleasing to the sight/ show physical perfection and they tend to define beauty on what is on the outside rather than what's on the inside. These words can be extremely triggering for many youths because the beauty expectations that are set today are extremely unrealistic.
On social media, many celebrities and influencers promote these unrealistic body types as they post images with revealing clothing to show their “perfect” physique. They have a “slim waist”, “small face”, “Plump lips”, “Big eyes”, “Slim arms” etc.
Though these influencers are shown to have a “perfect” physique, it is known that the majority of the content that is put onto social media platforms is not real. Many of the celebrities shown on these platforms are known to have undergone different kinds of surgeries that give them an ideal body figure or face structure to which many young minds are drawn. These surgeries can change a person’s face to such an extreme where they can become unrecognizable, and many teenagers are often influenced by these procedures from which they obtain mental illnesses like eating disorders".
- Ranjeet Singh (Medical professional)
Treatment
A psychologist to provide psychological therapy. If you need medication prescription and management, you may see a psychiatrist. Some psychiatrists also provide psychological therapy.
A Mental health professional
To provide education on nutrition and meal planning. With proper education about your eating disorder from a professional, it will be more comfortable for you to open up about it.
A registered Dietitian
Treat health or dental problems that result from your eating disorder. (This focuses on individuals diagnosed with Bulimia or Binge eating disorders)
Medical or Dental speacialists
For young people still living at home, parents should be actively involved in treatment and may supervise meals. Achieving a good support system around you always allows for improvement.
Your partner, parents, or other family members
