A report released last summer revealed that Indiana was in the top third of most obese states with more than 29% of Hoosiers being obese. While we all need to be reminded to be health conscious, there are some for whom dieting becomes a dangerous — even deadly — obsession in the form of an eating disorder.

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A report released last summer revealed that Indiana was in the top third of most obese states with more than 29% of Hoosiers being obese. While we all need to be reminded to be health conscious, there are some for whom dieting becomes a dangerous — even deadly — obsession in the form of an eating disorder.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) describes three genres of eating disorders:
● Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
● Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating.
● Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.

It is shocking that something as seemingly as innocuous as dieting — an over $50 billion industry in the United States and something which 80% of all children have done by the fourth grade — could be the most common behavior that leads to these eating disorders. Further, it may be surprising that a few carelessly spoken words which associate being skinny with being happy could trigger a teenager’s fall into an eating disorder. But because we live in a society infatuated with external appearances, parents must remember to guard their emphasis on dieting and their teenager’s physical appearance lest they unwittingly push their teenagers toward an eating disorder.

But what are the warning signs of an eating disorder? The Nemours Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of children, suggests the following:
● Drops weight to about 20% below normal
● Denies feeling hungry
● Exercises excessively and feels fat
● Withdraws from social activities
● Becomes obsessed with weight control

If parents suspect their teenagers may have an eating disorder, it is important to address it as soon as possible because, like many bad habits, it will only become more difficult to break the longer it continues. Even if the parents have been able to develop a quality relationship with their teenagers (consider reading Jonathan McKee’s Candid Confessions of an Imperfect Parent for suggestions on how to do this), this may still be a difficult conversation. But for the health of the teenagers, it is important for the parents to gently share their observations which led them to be concerned about an eating disorder.

While some eating disorders are caught early enough such that simply supporting healthy eating habits and curtailing triggers (such as an over emphasis on dieting) will quench the disorder, pursuing professional counseling may be needed for eating disorders which are more deeply entrenched. I have referred families to the Counseling Center at the Crossing (indyhope.com), but there are certainly other helpful counselors in the Indianapolis area. Seeking professional counseling should not be seen as shameful or only for those who are “really messed up.” Rather, parents should be thankful that there are professional counselors to give the support which they may not be able to provide for their teenagers. Indeed, perhaps one of the most loving things parents can do for teenagers struggling with an eating disorder is connect them with someone who can help nudge them in the right direction.

Finally, one of the most important actions parents of teenagers can take is to carefully monitor how they themselves approach health and eating. If parents are always concerned about their weight and always counting calories, there is a good chance their teenagers will do the same — which may lead them to an eating disorder. But if parents have a healthy self-image and eating habits, they can be a great influence in helping their teenagers avoid falling prey to eating disorders.