Eating disorder in adolescents

This problem is more common in women than men and includes anorexia and bulimia. Treatment for eating disorders usually requires a treatment team, including individual therapy, family therapy, working with the primary physician, work with a nutritionist, and medication.

Many teenagers suffer from other problems, including depression, anxiety and substance abuse. It is important to recognize these problems and deal appropriately. Parents must be alert to various symptoms and signs of danger of anorexia nervosa and bulimia:

• The adolescent with anorexia nervosa is typically a perfectionist who takes very good grades in school. At the same time, underestimated, irrationally believes that she's overweight, although much less weight and becomes very thin. The teenager with anorexia nervosa desperately needs to feel control over their own lives and believe they are in control only when he says no to food.

• Symptoms of bulimia are different from those of anorexia nervosa. The patient ingests large amounts of high calorie food and then purge those calories by becoming sick and often using laxatives.