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)
professional maid services Park Ridge ..America is a nation of self-disclosers, amiably acceptant of our... Read More
If you're like me, you probably wish that there was... Read More
With tons of information out there on "Fat Acceptance" does... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
If you're taking a fiber supplement or eating a high... Read More
First off, let me start by saying this list is... Read More
I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More
The cost of a tummy tuck is something to consider... Read More
Do you tend to find your weight increases when you... Read More
What if by making a few small changes in your... Read More
THE 200 POINT SYSTEMWith so many different diets available, how... Read More
Burn fat while you sleep! Eat whatever you want and... Read More
It's definitely no fun to lose weight -- put it... Read More
The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is... Read More
What is ephedra? Ephedra, which is also known as Ma... Read More
You see it all the time; people agonizing over their... Read More
How to Break the Weighing HabitFace it, if you weigh... Read More
Yes, my healthy diet has at times suffered at the... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
Ever notice how your best friend can lose weight on... Read More
The answer to the title of this article is "none."... Read More
The only absolute truth in the area of exercise and... Read More
If you are about to begin a diet, the number... Read More
Living a powerful, healthy, fit and trim life is a... Read More
When I decided to lose weight I of course decided... Read More
cleaning lady near Lincolnshire ..You have finally decided to tackle weight management and lose... Read More
There have been many diets and weight loss plans that... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always... Read More
Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
I gotta confess: I'm completely addicted to crisps. Any kind... Read More
One way of recognizing a fad diet is... Read More
Do you have a big event coming up? Perhaps you... Read More
The Liver The function of your kidneys is to filter... Read More
If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's... Read More
Gastric bypass patients face a great task in the following... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
Losing fat in my opinion is not all that difficult.... Read More
This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report melon to be one of... Read More
College weight gain is at an all time high, and... Read More
Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Once upon a time, I fretted about going to a... Read More
Losing weight on hips and thighs has always been a... Read More
You need to reset your weight-o-stat. No matter how much... Read More
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help... Read More
If you have been trying to lose weight permanently, then... Read More
Weight Loss |