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)
limousine chicago serviceIt has been 15 years since I was diagnosed with... Read More
As a weight loss coach I speak will people regularly... Read More
Gastric bypass patients face a great task in the following... Read More
Debunking The Ab MythAb training has been done to death... Read More
Have you ever wondered why diet books always seem to... Read More
Weight loss can be one of the most difficult things... Read More
World Health Organization has observed that obesity has now reached... Read More
According to the BMI chart, if you are overweight, you... Read More
I do not smoke, never have, and admit to being... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACKThis... Read More
Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More
If only we could solve this question, the world (for... Read More
One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
With millions of people aiming for successful weight loss, many... Read More
What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More
The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is... Read More
Diet Fads-Forget about 'EmAnother fad "best diet" bites the dust.... Read More
What to Do with the Leftovers?Okay, tell me if you've... Read More
We have all set them, and we will revisit them... Read More
To really understand the impact of a protein diet, it's... Read More
We must all now be familiar with the Atkins Diet.... Read More
There have been many diets and weight loss plans that... Read More
I remember back in my senior year of high school... Read More
can't open file for w /hsphere/local/home/sasha/casapolis.co/tools/neptun/temp/max14separatorstylefontsize10pxcolorblackfontfamilyverdanatextdecorationnone.htmlI know, I know. What a crazy question!Considering that we've... Read More
Lousy Reasons to Lose Weight"I want to be a size... Read More
If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on... Read More
What are the best fad diets? It's a question I'm... Read More
Recently, I read an article from Japanese magazine that by... Read More
To achieve your goals you need a diet that takes... Read More
Good health is all too easily taken for granted until... Read More
Choosing the right diet type is the most important decision... Read More
As I explained in the first part of this article,... Read More
Over the past 5 years, online weight loss programs have... Read More
Let me ask you a personal question. As you read... Read More
Have you ever wondered why diet books always seem to... Read More
If you pick the right personal trainer?you'll most definitely see... Read More
What if by making a few small changes in your... Read More
Zero Calorie Diet Sodas: Good Or Bad For Weight Loss?Calorie-free... Read More
Adaptation is the most important concept I teach. The human... Read More
The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse... Read More
Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your... Read More
You have finally decided to tackle weight management and lose... Read More
CancerCoronary heart diseaseStrokeOsteoporosisMajor Depression from Brain StarvationHeadlines.WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2004... Read More
Many physical problems are related to obese condition, like difficulties... Read More
Weight Loss Weight Loss |