Eating Disorder: Types, Causes, Signs, Treatment, Prevention in Children, Teens & Adults (A child)

If your child has a binge eating disorder, or any other eating disorder, check your own attitudes about food, weight and body image, first. Think about how you are affected by body-image pressures and how you could affect your child with them. Then talk to your child to learn more about the reason behind the disorder.

Note: The wisest course of action would be taking your child to a doctor as an eating disorders treatment may be needed.

Do everything for promoting self-esteem in your child in intellectual, athletic, and social endeavours. Give boys and girls equal possibilities and support. A many-sided sense of self and stable self-esteem are the best remedies to all types of eating disorders, especially to binge eating disorder in children.

It is hard for children, especially girls, not to become anxious about their body with the modern pop culture. That includes everything from little girls being sold underwear that says “juicy” on the bottom to watching the Big Brother on TV, shows that are all about your body look, or what people injected into their lips, or what guy girls can get if they look sexy, etc.

If your child watches such shows (which is very likely), watch them with him or her and let them know how silly these shows are in a very simple and not nervous way. For example, you could say “God, this lady is absolutely obsessed with her behind, or her lips, or whatever. Isn’t that sad? What about her brain?”

Most popular reason for eating disorders in a wrong body image that pop culture gives to our children. So if you see that your child might have some troubles with eating behaviour, do everything for giving him or her a normal body image. Show them different beautiful people on the streets, tell them about the reasons that make people fall in love for each other and that they are not Barby and Ken bodies, etc.

Remember that any eating disorder is often a sign of big stress, a try to control emotional discomfort and/or self-hate. Negative communication will only make it worse, so it's better for you to be supportive and kind in this situation.

Many children are trying to satisfy their parents and are afraid to disappoint them or to get punished, but if you try to manipulate with words like "If you won't eat with us, it will make me cry." they will eat, but it doesn't mean that your manipulation worked, it only made things worse. Because your child will be eating with you and then, probably, vomiting somewhere else, where you won't get to know about that.

So better be smart and supportive. Be a friend to your child, ask them why they act this way and try to discuss it.

You need to prepare answers for situations that will appear from time to time, because of your child's ED. You need to look smart, calm and supportive, so know what to say in standard cases. For example, know how you will respond when your child wants to skip meals or says he or she wants to eat alone, or when they get angry if someone eats their "special" food.

Help your child to find healthy ways to manage unpleasant feelings such as stress, anxiety, depression, etc. Remember that eating disorders are always a reaction to something stressful. So communicate with your child and find out how to make them happier.

Once you can accept that the eating disorder is not anyone's fault, not yours, nor your child's, you will be able to act honestly and smart, instead of thinking what you "should" or "could" have done to avoid this.