Eating Disorders in Children, Adolescents

and Youth

Student: Zaireen Belo

Research Teacher: Mrs. Fely M. Tubil
 Table of Contents
Introduction ---------- 3
Literature Review ---------- 4
Eating Disorders and
Social Media ---------- 6
Methods ---------- 7
 Parental and relative advice
 If your youngster denies having difficulty or trouble
 DON’T do for parents
 Advice for School employees
 Behavioral
 Physical Indicators
Treatment of eating disorders
Consumption of nutritious foods -------- 11
 Medication
 Psychological help is available
Conclusion ---------- 13
References ---------- 14
Acknowledgements ---------- 15

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3
 Introduction
Eating disorders are complex and often misunderstood
mental health problems that can have wide-ranging impacts on
physical and emotional well-being. They can result from a complex
interplay of psychological, social, and biological factors, with the
potential for lasting physical, psychological, and social effects on the
individual's life. While eating disorders are not limited to any one
age group, they can occur at any age, it's important to note that in
many cases, they are diagnosed in childhood, adolescence or youth.
The consequences of untreated eating disorders can be
grave, including damage to internal organs, delayed growth and
development, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The
burden of eating disorders on individuals and families, as well as on
public health and economic systems, is significant. Despite the
availability of effective interventions, many individuals do not
receive adequate care, largely due to the stigma associated with
eating disorders.
The goal of this research is to understand the social,
psychological, and biological precursors and consequences of eating
disorders in children, adolescents, and youth. By examining the
interplay of various factors in different age ranges, this research will
aim to identify novel interventions and strategies for preventing and
treating eating disorders in this vulnerable population.

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 Literature review
Eating disorders are complex mental health problems that
are characterized by abnormal eating behaviors, weight, and
concerns about weight and shape. They often have multiple causes,
and can impact various aspects of an individual's life, including
physical, psychological, and social functioning. Eating disorders can
occur at any age, but they often manifest during childhood,
adolescence or early adulthood.
One of the most common eating disorders, anorexia
nervosa, is characterized by low weight, the fear of gaining weight
or becoming fat, disturbed body image, and a lack of appetite.
People with anorexia may try to maintain a severely low weight
through restricted eating, fasting, excessive exercise, and the use of
emetic medications or diuretics.
Another eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, is
characterized by recurrent episodes of binging or over-eating,
followed by behaviors to avoid weight gain. These may include
vomiting, fasting, and over-exercise.
Both anorexia and bulimia are associated with a host of
negative physical, psychological and social consequences. Physical
effects may include osteoporosis, anemia, and delayed puberty.
Psychological effects may include depression, anxiety, and social
withdrawal. Social consequences may include disrupted
relationships with family, friends, and significant others.
Other eating disorders, such as binge-eating disorder,
also have profound impacts on an individual's life. People with
binge-eating disorder will gorge on large amounts of food over a
short period of time, and may feel a loss of control.

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 While there is no one cause of eating disorders, they are
thought to result from a complex combination of genetic,
psychological, and social factors. Some of the potential causes may
include genetic predisposition, stress or trauma, social pressure to
conform to certain body ideals, and societal attitudes towards food
and body image.
Treatment for eating disorders typically involves a
multidisciplinary approach and may include therapy, medication,
counseling, and nutritional support. It is crucial that individuals
with eating disorders receive appropriate and effective care as soon
as possible to avoid the negative consequences associated with these
conditions.
In conclusion, eating disorders in children, adolescents, and
youth are complex problems that can have profound impacts on an
individual's life. By understanding the social, psychological, and
biological precursors and consequences of eating disorders in this
vulnerable population, researchers and clinicians can make
important contributions to the prevention and treatment of eating
disorders in the future.

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 Eating Disorders and Social Media
Persons with eating disorders can benefit from social
media since it provides gaze support, healing options, and other
information. However, it former found that it increases the
exposure to communication that encourages eating disorders.
Photos and pictures of tiny legs, narrow tummies, protruding
ribs, as well as "thinspirational" statements like "Pretty females
don't eat" and "Skip supper, be leaner," are shared on social
networking sites. Additionally, social medium websites like as
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have given "pro-ana" (pro-
anorexia) and "pro-mia" (pro-bulimia) websites a worldwide
platform. Users support one another's self-harming behaviors on
these websites, promoting the belief that an eating disorder is a
choice rather than a significant mental sickness. Persons may at the
present gather jointly to promote eating disordered behavior
through monthly challenges. Some Instagram users, for example,
use likes to fulfill chores like "1 like = 2 hours of fasting".
"Fitspo" or "fitspiration" has also been a source of worry.
This contains information about "clean diet" and exercise
regimens. While this association was first regarded as a good
physical shape alternative to pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia
material, it may value too high and encourage obsessive eating as
well as exercise attitudes and behaviors, still if it appears to or
claims to endorse health. Societal media makes it simple for the
populace with eating disorders to seek and earn praise for their
conduct, increasing eating disorder behaviors such as obsessions,
comparison, and competitiveness. As a result, social media
platforms have attempted to restrict information promoting eating
disorders, although preventing all of the content from getting
through can be challenging.

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 Methods
 Parental and relative advice
 Be aware of eating disorder warning signs, such as changes in
eating habits, physical changes, social medium use, and food or
body picture discussions.
 Concentrate: Listen with an open mind, reflecting on what
you've heard, and without passing judgment. If you're not sure, ask
your youngster how they're feeling and how you might best help
them. Instead of proposing answers right once, validate their
sentiments.
 Educate yourself: find out further about eating disorders and
how to recover from them, including myths and realities. Evaluation
about or conversing with other parents who have successfully
helped their children heal is too valuable also, it is commonly
incorporated in therapeutic programs.
 Encouragement: Instead of focusing on food-related behavior,
emphasize good personality attributes and emotional wellness. In
your relationship with food, weight, and activity, model healthy
behaviors, and choices and seek to establish a family environment
that encourages them.

 If your youngster denies having difficulty or trouble

Reiterate what you've witnessed, i.e., proof of trouble
Express your concern for their health and well-being once more.
If the talk isn't going anywhere or one of you is becoming too
irritated, end it.
Take any required steps to advance your duties. Keep the door open
for additional discussion.

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  DON’T do for Parents
 Judgment: Do not pass judgment, make jokes, or discount your
child's ideas, feelings, or behaviors while he or she is struggling or
discussing anything personal. They may be perplexed, humiliated,
or disappointed, and they look to you for help.
 Argue: Confronting your kid in front of a group, making
allegations, or fighting with them will very certainly make
communication.
 Lecture: Avoid oversimplifying the situation or focusing on
offering advice on looks, weight, or exercise. While your child may
seek to you for particular solutions at times, ensure that the focus is
on what customers want and require at the time.
 Ignore: You should never dismiss warning signals as a "phase."
Because eating disorders have the greatest death rate of any mental
disease, getting help as soon as possible is critical. Seek medical
help right away if the person is vomiting often, passes out,
complaining of chest pain, or is suicidal.

 Advice for School employees

It is the reason for worry if a pupil frequently exhibits one
or more of the signs or symptoms indicated below, the parents or
guardians of the student should then be notified:
Perfectionism: The scholar may have a low tolerance for errors in
academics, food, social life, and other areas, as well as an excessive
sense of self-sufficiency, making asking for help difficult. Other
perfectionism symptoms linked to disordered eating include:
expressing body image complaints/concerns such as being too fat
regardless of weight; inability to accept compliments; having moods
affected by thoughts about appearance; constantly comparing
oneself to others; self-discriminatory comments; referring to
oneself as overweight, gross, or unattractive; overestimating body
size, and striving to create a "perfect" image.

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Withdrawal: The student may appear to be retreating from many
elements of their lives. This might manifest itself in a variety of
ways, including shifts in attitude and academic performance,
flattened or absent emotions, and more time spent alone or
withdrawing from friends. They may appear sad, dejected,
frightened, ashamed, embarrassed, or depressed, or they may
display insignificant feelings.
Food-related changes in view or conversation: They may
have rigid or obsessive ideas about food, eating, and exercise (e.g.,
labels items as good/bad or on/off limits; hesitates or feels
uncomfortable sharing food; diet inflexibility without cause).
Food, mass, figure, exercise, food preparation, and other topics may
be discussed incessantly. In order to improve performance in
athletics, dancing, acting, or modelling, the student may look
concerned with sustaining poor eating habits.

 Behavioral
Mealtime rituals or restrictions: You may notice tight dietary
guidelines or a haphazard food intake, such as missing meals,
scheming food intake methodically, signpost food, or refusing to
eat meals prepared by others or without knowing the exact
ingredients.
Avoidance: The student might refuse to dine in the cafeteria, work
through lunch, or eat by himself. They may also wear baggy
garments to hide anorexia or weight gain or their body shape or
size difficulties. Despite proof that there is a problem with eating or
body image, the student may deny it if asked.
Compulsivity: He or she may exhibit obsessive behaviors such as
wash of hand, signpost, recurring movements/language, or needs
for constant comfort are all signs of anxiety. This can also take the
shape of excessive daily exercise or compulsively exercising for long
periods. The student may have complexity sitting still, preferring to
float over the chair rather than sit, bouncing their legs constantly,
getting up from their counter whenever feasible, or offering to
run farm duties.

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  Physical Indicators
Here are some frequent physical indicators of an eating problem,
which may well vary depending on the kind of eating disorder:
 Abdominal ache
 Sentiment-filled or "bloated."
 Feeling weak, chilly, or exhausted
 Dark circles beneath the eyes, bloodshot eyes, or capillary around
the eyes that have burst
 Knuckle calluses caused by self-induced nausea
 Dry skin and hairs, as well as other signs of dehydration
 Hands and feet are blue

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 Treatment of eating disorders
Consumption of nutritious foods
Successful therapy for anorexia nervosa must always
involve a regular and enough diet. Your medical team will go
through this with you in great detail, but here are some crucial
points: Appropriate nutrition is a requirement of your treatment
approach. Your therapy will depend on you regaining a healthy
weight and acquiring the nutrition your body requires to be healthy.
Your health-care staff will assist you in doing this task
independently. A nutritionist specializing in treating eating
disorders will usually create a custom diet for you to ensure that
you obtain all of the important proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, and
minerals your body requires . The dietician's job is to assist you in
making healthy eating a habit. You won't change your habits
overnight, but you can learn to have a healthy and stress-free
relationship with food over time.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for bulimia nervosa
directly targets the core features of this disorder, namely binge
eating, inappropriate compensatory behaviors, and excessive
concern with body shape and weight. This treatment focuses on how
these symptoms cycle to perpetuate themselves in the present, as
opposed to why they originally developed in the past. CBT for
bulimia nervosa is conducted in approximately twenty weekly
sessions, which encompass three phases. The first phase includes
psychoeducation regarding weight and the adverse physiological
effects of binge eating, purging, and extreme dieting, and helps the
patient establish a regular pattern of eating and an appropriate
weight monitoring schedule. In the second phase, the focus shifts to
reducing shape and weight concerns and dieting behavior, and
identifying precipitants to any remaining binge-purge episodes.

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 The third phase is devoted to maintenance planning and the
prevention of relapse in the future. In CBT, the therapist works
collaboratively with the patient to disrupt the factors maintaining
the binge-purge cycle with the goal to achieve abstinence from these
behaviors. This treatment is typically administered individually, but
it can be delivered in group format. Therapists can also guide
patients in a self-help version of CBT for bulimia nervosa. CBT has
the strongest scientific evidence of all the tested psychological
treatments for bulimia nervosa. An enhanced version of CBT has
recently been developed and tested at Oxford University to treat the
spectrum of eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa.

 Medications
Because there is little evidence that pharmaceuticals
(medicines) are effective, they are not included in standard
anorexia nervosa treatment. Your doctor may give antidepressants
or mood stabilizers if you have bulimia nervosa or binge eating
disorder plus another mental health condition such as depression,
anxiety, impulse control, or substance use disorder. These
medicines may be beneficial in combination with psychiatric
treatment, even if you don't have one of these diseases. In trials,
antidepressant medication has been proven to help people with
bulimia nervosa control their eating and improve their humor.

 Psychological help is available

In addition to food and medical therapy, you must change
your attitude and behavior to heal and stay well. Psychological
counseling is a vital part of the rehabilitation process. It allows
them to figure out what's causing their eating problems and how to
address them. Psychological treatments come in a variety of forms,
but they always require talking with a therapist (a psychologist or
psychiatrist). These treatments are designed to help you better
understand your ideas, behaviors, and relationships so that you
may make changes that will make you feel better and make your
everyday life easier.
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 Conclusion
After conducting my research about eating disorders in
children, adolescents and youth, I have found that eating disorders
are complex and often misunderstood mental health problems that
can have wide-ranging impacts on physical and emotional well-
being. They can result from a complex interplay of psychological,
social, and biological factors, with the potential for lasting physical,
psychological, and social effects on the individual's life. Eating
disorders can occur at any age, but they can be diagnosed in
childhood, adolescence or youth.
The consequences of untreated eating disorders can be
grave, including damage to internal organs, delayed growth and
development, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The
burden of eating disorders on individuals and families, as well as on
public health and economic systems, is significant. Despite the
availability of effective interventions, many individuals do not
receive adequate care, largely due to the stigma associated with
eating disorders.
Although the causes of eating disorders are not yet fully
understood, it is clear that a multidisciplinary approach to treating
eating disorders is crucial. In my research, I have highlighted the
need for a greater understanding of the social, psychological, and
biological precursors and consequences of eating disorders in
children, adolescents, and youth, in order to identify novel
interventions and strategies for preventing and treating eating
disorders in this vulnerable population.
Furthermore, it is essential to break the taboos surrounding
eating disorders and to raise awareness about the early signs and
symptoms, which may include extreme concern with food, eating
habits, and body image, as well as drastic weight loss or weight
fluctuations. Eating disorders are treatable and those who seek
help, whether from a medical professional or a supportive friend or
family member, have the best chance at recovery.

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 References
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Abnormal psychology. Boston: Pearson.
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Gull WW. V.-Anorexia nervosa (ApepsiaHysterica, Anorexia
Hysterica) Obes Res. 1997;5:498–502.
Le LK, Hay P, Mihalopoulos, C A systematic review of cost-
effectiveness studies of prevention and treatment for eating
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Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, Nielsen S. Mortality rates in
patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A
meta-analysis of 36 studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68:724–31.
Paxton S, Hay P, Touyz SW, Forbes D, Madden S, Girosi F, et al.
Paying the Price: The Economic and Social Impact of Eating
Disorders in Australia. Butterfly Foundation. 2012
Choudhary P, Roy P, Kumar Kar S. Improvement of weight
and attitude towards eating behaviour with high frequency
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Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG, Jr, Kessler RC. The prevalence
and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity
Survey Replication. Biol Psychiatry. 2007;61:348–58.
Flament MF, Bissada H, Spettigue W. Evidence-based
pharmacotherapy of eating disorders. Int J
Neuropsychopharmacol. 2012;15:189–207.
Milano W, De Rosa M, Milano L, Riccio A, Sanseverino B,
Capasso A. The pharmacological options in the treatment of
eating disorders. ISRN Pharmacol. 2013:352865.

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 Acknowledgements
I Would like to dedicate this research to my family, who
have been my constant source of support throughout my academic
and professional journey. Their unwavering belief in me has
encouraged me to push myself beyond my comfort zone and explore
new avenues of knowledge.
I would also like to acknowledge my mentor, Mrs. Fely M.
Tubil, who have provided me with guidance and invaluable support
throughout this research process. Their expertise and insights have
been instrumental in helping me develop and refine my ideas and
perspectives.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all
those who have been affected by eating disorders, either personally
or through loved ones. Their courage and resilience in the face of
such a challenging issue have taught me valuable lessons about the
importance of kindness, empathy and support in the pursuit of
knowledge and understanding.
Their stories, struggles and triumphs have inspired me and
have helped to shape my research and its outcomes. Their strength,
tenacity and spirit are a testament to the indomitable human spirit
and its ability to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.
I believe that this research will make a meaningful contribution to
the understanding of not only eating disorders, but also to the wider
field of mental health and wellbeing. It is my hope that it will help to
reduce the stigma surrounding these issues, encourage more
research and help to inform policies and practices that promote
recovery and wellbeing for all.

Zaireen Belo
Student

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