Hi! We are so glad you stopped by!!! It’s really hard to be a student/teen in today’s world. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed with school, friends, pressure to fit in, body image, social media pressure, anxiety, loneliness, struggling to find your identity…..it’s just hard, but we are here to help.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
Children and teens who have negative thoughts about their bodies are at an increased risk of:
Low self-esteem
Unhealthy body weight, including being underweight or overweight
Risky behaviors that can affect their future opportunities, such as ignoring schoolwork or participating in illegal behaviors that lead to trouble with the law
During adolescence, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy body image due to:
Physical changes - hormones
Emotional changes
Social pressures / Social Media
So how do you know when dieting and weight changes are becoming serious???
Here are some red flags to look out for in yourself, and your friends
Skipping meals or snacks or making excuses for not eating.
Having a very limited diet that hasn't been prescribed by a trained medical professional.
Too much focus on food or healthy eating, especially if it means not participating in usual events, such as sports banquets, eating birthday cake or dining out.
Making own meals rather than eating what the family eats.
Withdrawing from usual social activities.
Frequent and ongoing worry or complaints about being unhealthy or overweight and talk of losing weight.
Frequent checking in the mirror for what are thought to be flaws.
Repeatedly eating large amounts of foods.
Using dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss.
Exercising much more than the average person. This includes not taking rest days or days off for injury or illness or refusing to attend social events or other life events because of wanting to exercise.
Calluses on the knuckles from reaching fingers into the mouth to cause vomiting.
Problems with loss of tooth enamel that may be a sign of repeated vomiting.
Leaving during meals or right after a meal to use the toilet.
Talk of depression, disgust, shame or guilt about eating habits.
Eating in secret.
Eating disorders are serious health conditions that affect both your physical and mental health. These conditions include problems in how you think about food, eating, weight and shape, and in your eating behaviors. These symptoms can affect your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life.
If not treated effectively, eating disorders can become long-term problems and, in some cases, can cause death. The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder.
Helpful Resources
www.mcrfoundation.com – or call 423-622-2666 – contact us locally and we can help you take the next steps, including a therapist and nutritionist referral in the area.
National Alliance for Eating Disorders – www.alianceforeatingdisorders.com – or call 866-622-1235
FEAST – www.feast-ed.org