Eating disorders affect over a million people in the UK, many of them teenage girls. Yet a recent survey showed that the majority of parents are unable to spot the early warning signs of an eating disorder. A similar survey amongst teenagers showed that many had hidden their illness from their parents and felt unable to talk to them about it.
This is a concern because research also shows that early, effective action can make a big difference. A study of a group of recovered anorexics in 2004 said that those with the shortest duration of disorder all reported early parental intervention.
Parents who are better educated about eating disorders are more likely to spot the problem early on, to react more effectively, and to get better medical help. There is also some evidence that simple things you do now can help protect your family in the first place.
What are eating disorders?
The phrase 'eating disorder' means any form of compulsive over- or under-eating. Eating disorders are a mental illness, not a physical one, and are extremely dangerous.
Anorexia nervosa, or compulsive under-eating, has the highest adolescent mortality rate of any psychiatric condition. It is characterized by severe weight loss, absence of normal periods in girls, and an obsessive pursuit of thinness.
Another form of eating disorder is bulimia nervosa, which is characterized by binge eating followed by vomiting or laxative abuse. Bulimia has a lower mortality rate than anorexia, but it is still very dangerous - ruptured veins can lead to internal bleeding and death.
People with anorexia don't usually binge eat, but if they feel they have eaten more than they wanted to, they may also vomit or abuse laxatives.
