It has been 15 years since I was diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa and I have been recovered for 12 years. To this day if I head for the washroom after a meal my mother feels the panic start to well up inside of her. Her first reaction to the news that her daughter was bulimic, like so many other mothers, was shock. This had been going on for 7 years and she never knew and she just couldn't understand why.
Bulimia and Anorexia are eating disorders that affect girls primarily in their teens (but can start as young as 10 years old) to their early twenties. Although it is mostly girls that are affected approximately 10% are boys and this number continues to increase. Bulimia is the reoccurrence of binging and then purging. Binging is when a larger than normal amount of food is eaten in one sitting. It is like there is a total loss of control and a young girl can consume 3 times that of a grown man. Purging is when vomiting is self-induced after eating and often, excessive amounts of laxatives are used. Girls who are bulimic become very good at hiding it from everyone even their families, primarily by saving the binging and purging till alone. To people with bulimia their physical appearance has become the determining factor as to their worth as a person. The ability to binge and purge gives control to girls that have somewhere along the way lost it in their lives.
So as parents what should you look for? An abnormal occupation with weight, which will in turn lead to your daughter being preoccupied with dieting. With some bulimics there will not be a drastic weight loss, as with anorexia, however this is not always true. In the case of obesity it is unfortunately usually undetectable. I know that the clothes in my closet ranged in size from 5 to 12. If you have an 11 year old girl who says she needs to go on a diet, that is a good sign that there is trouble. Dieting can be the most dangerous enemy that your daughter ever faces.
If she decides to become a vegetarian but also gives up cake and cookie or eliminates dairy from her diet but also eliminates all high calorie foods; if she starts to constantly make excuses as to why she can't eat, like she is running late or ate with a friend; if she also starts to withdraw and seems depressed a lot of the time and spends more and more time alone. These are all very strong signs of an eating disorder.
The one thing that parents need to realize is that this is not something that will just go away or that they'll grow out of. It is a serious problem that can result in a variety of medical problems and even death. If you see some of these behaviors in your child, you need to seek professional help for her. If you start attacking your child they will become defensive and the situation can worsen. There is help available and treatments such as antidepressants are proving very successful. The first step is realizing there is a problem and then the most important step is getting help. I am living proof that there is life after bulimia.
Cass Hope is a registered massage therapist who has studied and counseled in nutrition. Cass regularly contributes to online and offline publications dealing with weight loss and nutrition. She is currently sponsoring this site: http://www.naturalsuccess.info
(for web reprints please ensure this URL is hyperlinked)
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest ... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
Every weight loss surgery patient I've met said they at... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
Do you know anybody who does not wish to get... Read More
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what... Read More
Today I stopped by my favorite coffee shop in Berkeley,... Read More
Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That... Read More
The Review Diaries She Unlimited MagazineThere are masses of carbohydrate... Read More
World Health Organization has observed that obesity has now reached... Read More
You have been on diets before. You probably have lost... Read More
When it comes to our weight and the appearance of... Read More
According to the BMI chart, if you are overweight, you... Read More
Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a... Read More
According to Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins,... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
Weight loss can be one of the most difficult things... Read More
Are you weighted down with delusion, depression and on the... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More
The government, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians implore us to eat... Read More
I did it without starving myself or taking pills. How... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
For many years, the experts, including our government have been... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..Every day, it seems, a new study pertaining to weight... Read More
Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
Curb Hunger and Avoid The Costly BingeEveryone's been there -... Read More
With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our... Read More
My name is Greg Ryan and I am a high... Read More
A new survey has found that heel pain caused by... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More
Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're... Read More
Just the facts on bodybuilding weightloss strategies that work. No... Read More
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
One of the most important things you can do for... Read More
Many people (especially on the net) claim that you can... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACKThis... Read More
The market is flooded with weight loss supplements that make... Read More
In twenty years of consistant exercising, maintaining a low percentage... Read More
Weight loss is an issue that affects men and women... Read More
Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More
Lipoxinol Weight Loss Review: Does Lipoxinol Live Up To All... Read More
Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can... Read More
Diet and Exercise. They are the inseparable twins that are... Read More
One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the... Read More
Diet Pills are the fastest growing segment of the dietary... Read More
Weight Loss |