Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre

What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders involve harmful thoughts and feelings about food. These feelings may affect the way a person feels about food and the way they see their body. The names of some of the kinds of eating disorders a person may have are: anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; and binge eating.   It’s important to remember that this is about much more than food—it’s about how a person feels and how they cope with their feelings. Because eating habits may be very harmful to a person’s health it’s very important to get help from a doctor, a therapist or a nutritionist.  Eating disorders can happen to anyone.  Doctors don’t always know the reason why a person develops an eating disorder.  But mostly, eating disorders affect girls more than boys.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia affects how a person feels about their body and how they eat. A person with anorexia will think that their body is bigger than it is. They will think they are fat even though they are losing weight. They will not eat or eat very tiny amounts, even though they are hungry. They don’t get the nutrients they need to build a healthy body. It is important to remember that warning signs can start long before you notice a person losing weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia affects how a person feels about their body and how they eat. A person with bulimia will eat a large amount of food in a short period of time. Their eating may be out of control. This is called bingeing. A person will vomit to get rid of the calories because they are scared they will gain weight. This is called purging. A person might not lose weight and it might be difficult to tell as they will binge and purge in secret. Even though bulimia isn’t always as visible as anorexia, it can still cause serious health problems.

Bingeing

Binge eating affects how a person feels about their body and how they eat. A person who binges will eat a large amount of food in a short period of time on a regular basis. They can’t control how much they eat and they will feel guilty or depressed after eating.  The difference between bingeing and bulimia is that a person who binges does not try to purge or get rid of the calories they just ate.  Sometimes binge eating is called compulsive eating.

How do I know if my child has an Eating Disorder?

Children have certain ways of thinking about themselves. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating may have a greater effect on your child if they do not like the way they look. Your child may want to look perfect all the time.  They may also have a difficult time expressing their feelings.  Anorexia and bulimia may give your child a sense of control. The eating disorder may be a way to cope if they feel they have little control in their life. Children who have eating disorders are very good at hiding them from their parents.

Here are some signs to watch for:

• Your child may eat very little, count calories, and only eat healthy foods
• They might spend a lot of time thinking and talking about food
• They might think about dieting and their weight all the time
• Your daughter might start missing her menstrual periods
• They might visit the bathroom many times after eating
• Their dental check up might show a lot of tooth decay and other problems
• You may notice that your child has lost weight although they are always talking about feeling fat
• You might notice physical signs that their body isn’t getting enough nutrients.  These signs may include hair loss, dry skin, dizziness or lack of energy
• Your child might avoid eating even when hungry and skips meals saying that they are not hungry.  They might also be eating in secret
• Your child might focus on their body image as well as their weight.  You might notice that they are weighing themselves all the time
• Your child might be exercising all the time and wearing baggy clothes to hide their weight loss

What can be done?

It’s very important to get help for an eating disorder because this issue can cause many serious health problems. Eating disorders are very treatable, and many children recover with support from different health experts. Regular medical check-ups are important to treat physical health problems.

Counselling is beneficial as it will help your child understand their thoughts, their feelings and why they act the way they do.  Family counselling can help the entire family understand the disorder and what it is doing to the family.

A nutritionist can help you and your child learn about food and help your family create healthy meal plans.

Support groups for yourself and your child can help you see that you aren’t alone. You can learn new ways of coping and find support from others.

If your child weighs too little or starts to develop serious health problems, they may need to be treated in the hospital.

Medication usually isn’t the first option.  Some research suggests that certain drugs can help people living with eating disorders.

There are many things you can help your child do at home to cope.

Here are a few things to try:

• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep
• Help them learn to manage stress and solve problems
• Make sure you help your child keep in touch with family and friends
• Help your child with relaxation techniques
• Spend time with your child doing the things they enjoy
• Talk to your doctor about other useful things to try at home

Where to from here?

Talk to your family doctor. Also check out the resources below for more information about eating disorders:

Jessie’s Legacy Program, Family Services of the North Shore

Visit www.familyservices.bc.ca or call Mimi Hudson at 604-988-5281 to contact Family Services of the North Shore (FSNS). FSNS provides eating disorders prevention education, resources and support for BC youth, families, educators and professionals through the Jessie’s Legacy program.

Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre

Contact this BC resource centre at keltycentre@bcmhs.bc.ca or 1-800-665-1822 (toll-free in BC) or 604-875-2084 (in Greater Vancouver) for information, referrals and support for children, youth and their families in all areas of mental health and substance use, and for people of all ages around eating disorders.

Your Local Crisis Line

Crisis lines aren’t only for people in crisis. You can call for information on local services or if you just need someone to talk to. If you are in distress, call 310-6789 (do not add 604, 778 or 250 before the number) 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line, without a wait or busy signal. The crisis lines have received advanced training in mental health issues and services by members of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information.

Resources available in many languages:

*For each service above, if English is not your first language, say the name of your preferred language in English to be connected to an interpreter. More than 100 languages are available.

HealthLinkBC

Call 811 or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca to access free, non-emergency health information for anyone in your family, including mental health information. Through 811, you can also speak to a registered nurse about symptoms you’re worried about, or a pharmacist about medication questions.