Purging/Binge-Eating Problem

You said that you were concerned about some of your child's eating habits. You said that your child has some of the following problems related to eating:

• Says s/he looks fat or feels fat
• S/he thinks about food and his/her weight a lot
• S/he skips meals (to try to lose weight)
• S/he goes a day without eating (to try to lose weight)
• S/he exercises a lot (to try to lose weight)
• S/he often compares his/her body shape to that of his/her classmates
• S/he eats a lot of certain types of food in a short period of time (binges)
• S/he probably does this when s/he is alone
• After eating too much, s/he may throw up or use laxatives
• S/he is very sensitive about his/her weight
• S/he may feel bad about him/herself because s/he views herself as fat

Your child is starting to have some problems related to eating. Children who have even more problems than your child have an Eating Disorder. This can be a very serious problem. Your child's doctor will tell you how to help your child before these problems get worse.

Warning signs that things are getting worse:

• Your child often throws up or uses laxatives after eating too much.
• Your child stops eating for days at time.
• Your child exercises way too much in an attempt to lose weight.
• Your child only eats when s/he is alone.
• Your child thinks and talks a lot about food.
• Your child says certain parts of his/her body are "fat" when s/he is not overweight.
• Your child is very sad and/or worries a lot.
• Your child has friends who also have eating problems.

If you think these things are getting worse, talk to your child's doctor even if you have talked about it before.

American Academy of Pediatrics (1996). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care. Elk Grove Village, Illinois: Author.