Eating Disorders
When a child is suffering from depression, he or she is likely to have some sort of appetite disturbance. It can mean a failure to make expected weight gains that are normal for a specific age. It's not that uncommon for kids to eat too little or too much when they are depressed.
The problem intensifies when a child becomes preoccupied with food. Depressed children typically have low self-esteem. Children often become preoccupied by food as a way to medicate themselves. Even though the resulting feelings are temporary, you can see how a cycle of unhealthy eating — either too much or too little — can affect a child's body image. Often, food is the only thing a child who is depressed can control.
Alert!
Eating disorders have been found in children as young as five. About 10 percent of children under the age of 11 have eating disorders, and almost half of eating disorders in children have an initial onset of before the age of 16. Be on the alert for any eating behaviors that are out of character for your child and her specific age.
Anorexia is marked by abnormal weight loss and an intense fear of gaining weight. Your child may refuse to eat even small portions of food. She may begin to exercise compulsively and see her body in a very distorted, exaggerated way. Bulimia combines binge eating and purging after eating. Often, these kids will abuse laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills. Compulsive exercise is also common with bulimia.
Fact
Occasional over- or undereating is nothing to be concerned about. Your child's eating routine becomes symptomatic when your child is either gaining or losing weight at a rate that is abnormal for the natural growth process. Watch to see whether your child is using food to soothe her emotions rather than addressing the root of her unhappiness.
Children with eating disorders are typically female and have a perfectionist streak. Remember, eating is something that a child feels she can control. When depression hits and the world is an overwhelming set of challenges for a child, she will turn to an activity that will bring some sort of order to her life, even if it is unreasonable, irrational, and has unhealthy consequences.
