eating disorders
Prevention Starts at Home
Questions to ask teens
- Are you frightened at the thought of eating situations where you will have to eat a normal meal?
- Do you have food rituals such as eating food in rigid sequence, keeping foods from touching each other, eating a very limited variety of foods, cutting food into small pieces and blotting food with napkins to remove fat?
- Do you feel good or bad according to how much you eat, how much you weigh or how much exercise you get?
- Does weighing too much make you keep to yourself and feel lonely?
- Do you spend most of your time thinking about how much food you have eaten or will be eating during the day?
- Do you use laxatives, vomiting, diet pills, excessive exercise or water pills to help you lose weight or feel in control of your weight?
- Would you eat more than others if you didn't control yourself?
- Do you sometimes feel out of control when eating and frequently eat beyond the point of fullness?
- Are you frequently depressed because you feel overweight?
- Do you diet or fast (for other than biblical purposes) weekly or monthly?
- Do you feel that if you could lose weight you could achieve all your other goals?
- Do you restrict your eating or overeat when you are stressed and feel unhappy?
Background Information
Contributing Factors
Although the following influences do not constitute a comprehensive list of contributing factors, they are often present in eating disorders.
A New Type of Internet Predator
Parents beware of yet another threat girls face—Web sites encouraging binging and purging.
Model Behavior
When it comes to food and dieting, teens are imitating the stars all the way to illness.
Recognizing an Eating Disorder
Don't miss the signs. Parents need to know how to recognize anorexia and bulimia.
Starving for Acceptance
Here's a parent's guide to eating disorders.
Questions and Answers
Why doesn't someone with an eating disorder just stop?
Answer
Review Frequently Asked Questions
Stories
No One's Immune
As the daughter of a Christian physician proves, eating disorders aren't always caused by obvious risk factors.
If you've been through a experience related to this topic, we invite you to share your story with others.Share Your Story
Other Things to Consider
Starting the Healing
Hope comes from knowing we are created by God.
Related Topics
Relationships: Blended Families, Parents and Adult Children
Transitions: Preparing for Adolescence, Empty Nest
