How Eating Disorders Impact Teens

What is an Eating Disorder?

• An eating disorder is a psychological disorder. A teen who has an eating disorder can be concerned about and obsessed with his or her body image (how he or she looks).
• The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry estimates that about 1 of 10 teens will have an eating disorder. It is more common in girls but can also happen to boys. 
• An eating disorder can be manifested through other mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, OCD and more.

Causes of an Eating Disorder

There is no one cause of an eating disorder. Some things that can make a teen more likely to develop one are:

• Family and society pressure to be thin
• Low self-esteem 
• Psychological conditions 
• Participation in sports and activities that encourage lean muscles and thin bodies such as ballet, gymnastics and running.

Long-term Side Effects of an Eating Disorder

An eating disorder can harm your teen’s nutrition and his or her physical and emotional health. If not treated, an eating disorder can lead to long-term health problems and death. Some long-term effects are: 

• Hair loss 
• Loss in bone density
• Heart disease
• Kidney failure
• No longer getting a period
• Death

Common Eating Disorders

2.7% of teens in the U.S. between 13 and 18 years old have an eating disorder. This figure may sound like a lowpercentage of teens, but even so, the impact an eating disorder can make is huge. The most common types of eating disordersamong teens are:

• Anorexia nervosa – a constant need to lose weight. A teen will starve to maintain his or her weight loss. His or her self-worth is linked to how thin he or she looks.
• Bulimia nervosa – a compulsive need to binge eat and overeat, then throw up the food. Some teens also use laxatives shortly after eating.
• Binge eating disorder – a compulsive need to overeat such as in bulimia but the teen does not throw up.