Eating Disorders

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Jump to topics on this page:

• What Are Eating Disorders?
• When to Get Help
• How to Help a Child With an Eating Disorder
• Suggested Links
   

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Eating disorders are mental health conditions where a child, teenager or adult controls their eating because of worries or beliefs about their size, weight or body shape. Or does not eat enough or overeat. A person can have one mental health condition, like an eating disorder. Or they might have a mental health condition and have other disabilities, diagnoses or special health care needs. 

This page is about serious eating challenges that cause health risks that a professional might diagnose as an eating disorder. We have another page on challenges with eating that many parents of children with disabilities face—such as a child only eating certain foods or textures or food colors, having medications that make them not want to eat, g-tubes or feeding tubes and more. 

If you think your child might have an eating disorder, it’s a good idea to talk to a mental health professional for help.

What Are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are problems in how a person eats or relates to food and their body. Your child might spend a lot of their day focusing on eating, food, exercising or other related things.

Some common eating disorders are:

• Anorexia Nervosa – A person eats very little or avoids eating and has a strong fear of gaining weight even if they are underweight.
• Bulimia Nervosa – A person eats a lot in a short time or is binge eating and then makes their body get rid of the food by throwing up or “purging,” taking laxatives or diet pills, or exercising too much.
• Binge Eating Disorder – A person eats a lot or eats very fast in a short time, sometimes in secret, and feels like they are not in control of their eating even if they want to stop.
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID) – A person is underweight or malnourished due to not getting the food and vitamins they need, is not interested in food, does not like the texture of certain foods or is afraid of getting sick because of eating. 

AFRID is more common in children with autism or an intellectual or developmental disorder (IDD). For more tips on helping children with sensory issues or fears around eating, see our page on Challenges with Eating. And our page on Mental Health for Children With IDD. 

Also, children with other mental health conditions, like depression, may just not want to eat, which can cause health problems.

When to Get Help

If you are concerned about your child’s eating and mental health, it’s a good idea to start by talking to their doctor or a mental health professional. Psycom has a quick list of early signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and the National Association of Eating Disorders has longer lists of warning signs and symptoms. 

These include:

• Eating less or eating more than they used to.
• Eating in secret.
• A change in how hungry they say they are.
• Cutting out food groups, like carbs.
• Changes in weight or a focus on weight or losing weight. 
• A change in how they see or think about their body.
• Problems with teeth.
• Mood swings.

There can be many different eating disorder symptoms. And none of these symptoms alone are an eating disorder. It’s important to get a professional’s help. 

Many parents of children with an eating disorder say they noticed a real change in their child’s behaviors, moods or beliefs related to food or their body. This change might happen fast—or over time. A doctor can help a family know how their child is growing and developing. And other professionals, like counselors or therapists, can help a child and family understand if there’s an eating disorder, how it works, and how they can start to heal.

How to Help a Child With an Eating Disorder

For eating disorders—and any mental health condition—a professional like a therapist will see your child and give a diagnosis. There are professionals and special eating disorder programs or hospitals that help to treat eating disorders in children. Programs might include a counselor, nutritionist, dietician, doctor and other types of therapists who can work together to help your child. Usually, family therapy is part of treating an eating disorder. Learn more from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Here are some things that parents can keep in mind:

• Try not to label foods as good or bad, healthy or junk; those words can confuse some children and adults with disabilities. Remember that all foods have a purpose. A person can have more or less of different kinds of food. 
• Try not to make negative statements about anyone’s body, including your own or your child’s body. Don’t compare different bodies like comparing a child to their sibling or friend. Help them to understand and accept different bodies, especially their own, even if they are sometimes frustrated with their own body. 
• For children or adults with physical disabilities, it is especially important to help them develop their “body image” or how they see and think about their body—how it looks and what it can do. 
• Stay away from dieting culture. Children watch parents go on and off diets or hear them talk about weight.
• Watch out for using food as a reward. Try not to.
• Help your child be careful about social media or being online. What they see or read may not be true. And information online can be powerful for children. 

If your child is losing or gaining a lot of weight and seems to have strong eating worries or behaviors that concern you, it’s a good idea to look for help. See our page on Finding Mental Health Resources for Children as a place to start.