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April 11, 2007 -- Kimball Medical Center recently joined the National
Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to observe the 20th annual National
Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW).
NEDAW is the nation’s largest eating disorders outreach effort.
During NEDAW, activists across the country such as Kimball partner
with NEDA to bring awareness to the seriousness of eating disorders
and urge people to “Be Comfortable In Your Genes. Wear Jeans
That Fit the REAL You.” The theme for NEDAW highlights the
fact that body size and shape are strongly influenced by biological
factors and calls attention to the new discoveries surrounding the
role of genetics in the development of eating disorders.
About 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder —
90 percent of them female. While most symptoms of an eating disorder
start in the teenage years, children as young as 8 have been diagnosed.
Because so many young men and women are dieting, it is increasingly
more difficult to tell what is considered normal and what is disordered
eating, according to Cathy Heintz, R.D., C.D.E., chief clinical
dietitian at Kimball Medical Center.
As a part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Heintz offers
parents the following list of warning signs to look for in their
child:
- The person skips meals, takes tiny portions, will not eat in
front of people or mixes strange food combinations together.
- Always gives excuses not to eat. For example, the person
will claim he/she just ate with a friend or is not hungry.
- Grocery shops and cooks for the entire household but will not
eat any of the food.
- Becomes disgusted with former favorite foods and will only eat
a few foods that contain little or no calories.
- Boasts how healthy their diet is because it contains mostly
vegetables, which have few calories.
- Excuses oneself from the table almost immediately after eating.
- Eats unusually large quantities of food usually in private.
- Tries to control what and where the family eats.
- Laxatives or diet pills are sometimes used to promote weight
loss. Look for empty boxes or frequent trips to the bathroom
after eating.
- The faucet is usually running while the person is in the bathroom.
This is to cover up sounds of vomiting.
- Spends an abnormal amount of time in front of the mirror.
- The person has frantic fears of weight gain.
- Wears baggy clothes to hide their body.
- Detests certain parts of the body, especially breasts, belly,
thighs and buttocks.
- The person exercises excessively and compulsively.
- Becomes irrational and denies anything is wrong.
- Very competitive. Strives to be the best, thinnest and
smallest.
- Obsesses about food and calories.
- Possesses a need for control.
- Tries to please everyone and withdraws if this is not possible.
“It is so important for parents to understand what an eating
disorder is and what symptoms signify an eating disorder so their
child can get help as soon as possible,” Heintz says. “If
an eating disorder goes untreated, the child can suffer many medical
problems such as dehydration, missed menstrual cycles, fatigue,
stomach and heart problems, and in extreme cases death.”
If you believe your child may be suffering from an eating disorder,
speak to your pediatrician immediately. To find a pediatrician in
your area, call the Saint Barnabas Health Care Link at 888-SBHS-123.
CONTACT: Kathleen Horan
Public Relations and Marketing
732-557-3909
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