Focus on Healthy Eating

Disordered Eating - A Dangerous Trend in Children's Eating

You've seen young women or men worry about their appearance. "Do I look fat in these clothes? Will eating that hamburger cause me to gain weight? Why is my stomach so much 'pudgier' than my friends?" Well, the startling revelation here is that these concerns are not coming from adolescents. We're seeing this now in children as young as 8 or 9 years of age. Children this young are part of an emerging trend - disordered eating in children.

Eating and Exercise Patterns

Take this quick quiz to see if your child is at risk for disordered eating.

• Does your family eat together less than 4-5 times each week?
• Is anyone in your family, including your young child, dieting?
• Does your child engage in ritualized eating behaviors, like chewing every food a certain number of times before swallowing or eating foods in a specific sequence?
• Does your child show a loss of appetite or make a conscious effort to restrict calories by skipping meals/snacks or drastically reducing portion sizes?
• Does your child or anyone in your family exercise to extremes - long periods of strenuous activity?
• Is your child unhappy with his or her weight or body shape?
• Are you or your child obsessed with fat intake?
• Does your child eliminate entire food groups from his or her food choices without replacing the nutrients?

If you answered yes to even a few of these questions, your child could be developing unhealthy attitudes and behaviors regarding food. Be aware of the example you set.

What is disordered eating?

Children have a wide range of eating behaviors, but there is a big difference between picky eaters and disordered eating. Preoccupation with body image and quirky eating habits are danger signals to watch for. Disordered eating is a complex problem that is characterized by distorted or disturbed attitudes or behaviors surrounding food.

It is hard to know how many young children are developing these dangerous eating patterns. However, we do know weight and body image are on the minds of our very youngest children. Research studies have shown:

• 40-50% of girls grades 1-5 are sometimes/often on diets or otherwise trying to lose weight.
• 24% of elementary aged girls sometimes or frequently skip meals to lose weight.

Why is disordered eating a concern?

Eating problems have a big impact on children and adolescents. Disordered eating may interrupt normal growth and maturation. If severe, it could compromise height as well as decrease bone density. Puberty may be impacted and girls may start their periods later. Children who diet may react like some adult dieters by being over sensitive, irritable, tired, and less focused. And disordered eating may be an early sign of psychological or emotional problems, including the onset of a full-blown eating disorder.

Tips for Parents

Parents need to be positive role models. Children between the ages of 8 to 11 still mimic parental attitudes and behaviors surrounding food, physical activity and body image.

Nourishment for Physical Health - Nutrition
A well-nourished child feels good, thinks clearly, and has plenty of energy.

• All foods fit in a healthy diet. Avoid labeling foods as "good" or "bad." Try not to make children feel guilty about eating certain foods.
• Dispel food myths. Eating fat will not make you fat. Fat is necessary for brain function and as a carrier for important vitamins.
• Eat the appropriate number of servings and serving sizes from all the food groups. This helps assure adequate nutrition for growth and development.
• Eat together as a family as often as possible, preferably at home. Children who eat the most meals with their family have been shown to eat more healthfully and do better in school. More shared meals also gives parents an opportunity to notice any troublesome eating behaviors in their child.
• Let children help prepare meals and snacks. It's likely to foster more positive attitudes about food and eating.

Nourishment for Physical Health - Activity
Children need to be physically active. Age-appropriate physical activity helps strengthen muscles, bone, motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It can also build self-esteem. It is important to maintain a balanced perspective as physical activity can be taken to excess and become potentially harmful.

• Advocate an active lifestyle for the entire family. Most children should be active for 30-60 minutes a day, which may be accumulated throughout the day. Exercising together as a family is a good way to establish healthy activity habits for everyone.
• Encourage activities that are fun, and age-appropriate for your child's interests and abilities. Children should not engage in athletic endeavors beyond their abilities or physical development.
• Discourage overemphasis on extreme physical fitness, athleticism, participation in highly competitive sports or excessive amounts of exercise (several hours each day).

Nourishment for Emotional Well-being
Never underestimate the influence your attitudes and behaviors surrounding eating, activity and acceptance of body shapes and sizes have on your child.

• Do not talk about being too fat, weighing too much, or needing to diet. You could unwittingly contribute to your child's negative body image.
• Discuss the media's distortion of an "ideal" figure or body shape with your child. Pencil-thin models and actresses are not the norm. Parents must help dispel the notion that being thin means being popular and happy.
• Reinforce that there is no "ideal" body. Each child is unique and develops at his or her own pace. Gaining weight is normal and necessary to prepare bodies for puberty.
• Emphasize the functional rather than the physical aspects of the body, such as strength, ability to perform tasks, and having energy throughout the day for the activities they enjoy.

A greater awareness of disordered eating allows you to work to help resolve the issues, attitudes and behaviors that contribute to it.

For more help
If problems escalate, consult your physician or a registered dietitian.

For more information download our two-page handout, A Parent's Guide for Children with Disordered Eating.

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