Health Issues Common In Women

Cooks, But Won't Eat: Signs Your Child Has Anorexia Nervosa

15 October 2015 by admin

Many parents associate a love of cooking with a love and appreciation of food. For some children with anorexia nervosa, a love of cooking may have nothing to do with a desire to prepare and consume a tasty meal. Understanding why some children with anorexia insist on preparing their own meals is an important part of identifying your child's condition and getting your child the help he or she needs.

Why Some Kids With Eating Disorders Like to Cook

Cooking food separately and cooking meals for the family enables your child to control the ingredients that go into the food. Doing so allows your child to ensure that high-calorie ingredients are left out of the meals. You may also notice that your child is peckish when he or she eats, even if it's a meal your child has personally prepared. This is red-flag behavior and should raise concerns about your child's health and safety. If your child exhibits these traits, be on the lookout for other signs of anorexia.

Other Signs of Eating Disorders

The following symptoms, in certain combinations, can signal that a child is suffering from anorexia.

• Wears bulky clothing, especially when being subjected to being weighed on a scale. Your child may wear bulky clothing to hide his or her small body. Bulky clothing can also be used to hide weights that artificially pump up your child's body weight when he or she is forced to stand on a scale.
• Your child exercises a lot. Knowing that he or she can't simply stop eating when you're around, your child may attempt to overcompensate for calorie consumption by exercising a lot.
• Your child has anxiety problems. Children who suffer from anorexia often have high levels of anxiety--both generally and also with regards to their appearance. Your child may spend a lot of time particularly worried about his or her weight and how he or she appears "fat," even if the opposite is true.
• Your child has a lot of knowledge regarding calorie consumption and food portions. In general, children with a healthy interest in food don't pay much attention to these particular details.

What You Can Do

If you're worried that your child is suffering from anorexia nervosa, the best thing you can do is talk to a children counseling service to find out the next steps. Your child will need to be evaluated for his or her condition, and a treatment plan will be devised based on your child's individual needs. Counseling services, support groups, nutritional counseling and even prescription medications can all be used to help your child.

If you'd like to find out more about child counseling, visit websites like this to check it out.

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