Parenting Teenagers

Eating disorders have long been a serious problem among people of all ages. However, this disease usually begins somewhere in the pre-teen stages of life, and although many adolescent boys suffer with this disorder, it usually affects and is much more severe in teenage girls.

People who do suffer from an eating disorder like to place blame on factors such as television and family life-styles. Although these situations do influence eating disorders, the basis for this disease lies within the person whom it is affecting. In life there is a whole multitude of activities which we partake in, we click here, we click there online, we watch TV shows and films. It can be hard not to be influenced by what we see and do, particularly at a young age or when we are developing as teenagers When you are suffering from an eating disorder it is essential to get to the root of the issue rather than looking at the more superficial problems.

Most teenage girls and boys who suffer from an eating disorder usually are unhappy with themselves and their own performance in life. With teenage girls, eating disorders may arise if they do not succeed in activities such as cheerleading or gymnastics, or if they do not seem to attract the attention of boys. Many girls believe that they cannot be beautiful unless they are thin, sometimes due to naturally thin girls that surround them both in real life and in fashion. For boys, causes may also result from sports that are weight orientated like wrestling.

There are two types of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The teenager who is anorexic will place herself on what she considers to be a “strict diet.” This diet usually involves cutting down calorie intake to an absurd level. The average person should consume around 1500 calories a day - an anorexic teenager will gauge her daily intake anywhere between a few hundred to less than 100 calories.

The bulimic teen will usually try to restrict her diet. However, if she feels that she has eaten too much, she will induce vomiting or over-consume laxatives. Frequently, this sets off a pattern of binge eating and purging.

There is a way of preventing your teenager being susceptible to these diseases. Allow your teenager to be on a diet, but monitor the diet plan with her.

If you notice that your teenager is concerned with his weight, do not brush it off as a phase. Instead, sit down with him or her and work out a dietary and exercise plan together. Help by purchasing healthy foods such as fruit, raw vegetables and salads. Show your teenager that it is OK to eat - it is just the types of foods s/he consumes that s/he must be careful about. 

Understand that this is a mental disease, and grounding or punishing your teenager for having these disorders will only make things worse. If you believe your teenager may be suffering from an eating disorder seek professional help immediately. In situations like these parents may feel undermined or helpless, but understand that this disease greatly affects your teenager’s health and must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Christina Botto has been a sought-after mediator between parents and their teens for more than 20 years. She has helped hundreds of parents who are struggling with teen behavior, in person as well as through her books. Botto is the author of Help Me With My Teenager! A Step-by-step Guide for Parents that Works, Showing Your Teen that You Care, Monitoring Your Teenager, and Troubled Teenagers – Dealing with Tough Issues.

"This book is presented in a very logical format and the suggestions are easily implemented. I have never used punishment as a motivator with my daughter and now feel vindicated in that choice. I encourage parents of teens to get this book for a refreshingly alternative approach to interacting with our teens - treating them like the individuals that they are."
Kathy R., Massachusetts