
Body image is a major concern for many and so children and boys as young as seven are affected with eating disorders.
A dramatic jump over recent years in the number of cases of anorexia
among children in New South Wales has seen doctors forced to create
intensive programs to help those in need. It
means GPs and mental health specialists are now working to diagnose
disorders early so children can receive help before their condition
becomes critical.
'It's about recognising eating disorders are common and if we want the best outcome we want people to be picked up early, treated early and treated close to home, family and their school,' Dr Sloane Madden, eating disorders unit co-director at Sydney Children's Hospital said.
"In that nine and 10-year-old age group boys want to be fitter [and] want to be more muscular, so they really cut back on their food and they exercise in a very compulsive way," he said.
In 2016, 100 children have been checked in to Westmead hospital in Sydney with eating disorders. Of those, around 10 percent are under the age of 12, while four out of five come from metropolitan areas. While anorexia and other eating disorders have long been associated with young girls, that's beginning to change. 'It's not vanity at all, it's genetically based serious psychiatric illness with serious complications.'
Source: Medindia
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