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.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders involve extreme attitudes and behaviors towards food and weight. It has the highest suicidal mortality rate than other mental illnesses.
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‘Worryingly, some of these eating disorders are only being discovered when children are rushed to hospital with issues caused by starvation.
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'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.
Dr Madden said looking stronger and fitter is becoming more important at a younger age. However it's not all about looking like sports heroes, but also an increased
focus on health and fitness in society that's leading to the increased
number of cases.
![Anorexia Nervosa]( "Anorexia Nervosa")
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder most commonly found among teenage girls. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a very low body weight, generally defined as 15% below the Body Mass Index.
"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
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder most commonly found among teenage girls. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a very low body weight, generally defined as 15% below the Body Mass Index.
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"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
Decreased Appetite Symptom Evaluation
A loss of appetite deprives an individual of essential nutrients and results in weight loss.
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 Orthorexia NervosaAre you a Health Food Junkie? Are you obsessed with what you eat all the time? You may be a victim of a condition called Orthorexia Nervosa. | Advertisement
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