Protecting my Children From Developing an Eating Disorder?

Any parent reading an account of a young person with anorexia is likely to feel a sense of both anxiety and concern. They wonder how a young person can develop such a damaging and bewildering disorder and whether there is anything they can do themselves, to protect their own children.

It is important to start by emphasising that there are many factors involved in the development of eating disorders. When a child develops an eating disorder, it is not because their parents have ‘done something wrong’. Experts believe some people may have a genetic predisposition which places them at an increased risk of developing an eating disorder. Stressful life events and family difficulties are often factors, along with low self-esteem and some personality factors. Although dieting is also a risk factor, most dieters do not develop an eating disorder, so other factors must be involved. Equally, there is continuing debate about the role of socio-cultural factors such as media pressure to conform to an unrealistic body shape.

However, there are some steps which a family can take to reduce the risk and ensure that if there are problems, they are identified early.

There first thing is simply to eat together as a family, as often as you can. This can be difficult to manage with the pressures and schedules of our everyday lives. Eating disorders typically develop at a time when teenagers are becoming more independent and this independence often includes their eating habits. Teenagers may eat with friends more often and snack on their own at times which suit them. It is only by ensuring that you do eat together as a family on a regular basis that you will be able to identify any changes and problems.

Eating disorders often start to develop during puberty, which can be a very traumatic for the young person. They will be looking for positive role models in the people around them. If you share family meals with your children, enjoying a wide range of food, you will help them to maintain a positive relationship with food. While many of us watch what we eat to guard against middle-aged weight gain, try not to allow these concerns to dominate mealtimes.

Allowing children to always choose their own meals can encourage restrictive and faddy diets. It is best if you plan meals that all the family will eat rather than make separate meals for each member, perhaps with a choice of vegetables.
Dietitians always advise, there is no such thing as ‘bad food’ – the key is how much you eat and how often. You can enjoy ‘treats’ providing your diet contains a range of healthy foods. Banning certain foods is not helpful – it could result in your child craving the banned food and they may develop an emotional relationship with that food.

It is also important to end with a note of context about the prevalence of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa is fairly rare, especially compared with obesity, affecting around 0.2 to 0.8% of young women. Anorexia typically develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and high risk groups include dancers, models and athletes.

Bulimia nervosa is more common than anorexia nervosa and often begins slightly later in life, affecting between 0.5% and 2% of the general population.