Cilld Anorexia

I have been noticing in the past few weeks that my children are picking at their food. They have come to me a few times to tell me that they are not hungry. They want to throw out their food or give it to the dogs. I tell them "No." They proceed to sit down at the table, stare at their plate, and start to cry. The fork is continuously stirring. Moving the food around on their plate.

It is a good thing that there is evidence of their snacking between meals. Dirty dishes are laying in the sink or on the counter by the sink. Milk is left out on the counter. (Which my husband hates. so I try to get it put away before he gets home.) Crumbs have been crushed into the rug in front of the T.V. (My pet peeve.) They end up cleaning up that mess. Without these assurances, I might begin to worry about them being sick or upset.

I was watching a movie on Lifetime last month. It was about a fourteen year old girl who was anorexic. My oldest daughter is quickly approaching her teenage years. The parents in this movie were frantic and worried about their daughter's rapid weight loss.

The parents were suffering along with their daughter. The marriage relationship was strained with fights and blame. Family and friends were blocked out and even ignored. Careers were in jeoperdy due to all the missed time at work due to appointments. Little attentions was paid to job duties. The parents' minds were on their daughter's problem.

This week, I took some time to go on the internet and check out some sites on child anorexia. There were numerous sites. A lot of information was available to look at. There were a few things that terrified me.

One of the sites I went to was www.Ramundaranch.com. It stated that children as young as six years old were suffering from and being treated for anorexia. I thought influences from other children was a main cause of child anorexia. At six years old a child is only in kindergarten or first grade. They have only just begun school. I t is difficult to imagine the stress that can be affecting a six year old.

This site also stated that child anorexia is caused by the child's emotions not interest, or lack of interest, in food. Family dysfunction is a major cause . Children tend to stop eating to gain attention they feel they need. The parents often respond to the child, thus prolonging the problem.

Stress from friends and school is another leading cause of children not eating. Bullying, mimicking others, or too much pressure to preform correctly affect the child. They feel that too much is expected of them. I feel that the amount of homework assigned can be too much. Often, parents want their kids in sports and clubs. I know I rush my kids a lot to finish homework, so we can get to other activities at night. One or two nights a week is OK. Activities every night is too exhausting and causes stress.

The death of a loved one can cause a child to stop eating. They lose interest in food. Saddness, lonliness, and anger win over eating. Children do not know where to go for support. They learn to cope by not eating. I wish that some parents would pay more attention to their kid's needs and not be so engrossed in themselves. Catching a problem before it starts seems to be easier than dealing with a problem that has gone on too long.


Another site that I found that gave me important information was www.ehow.com. This site gives tips on what a parent can do if their child has anorexia. The first tip was to be there for your child. I try to be there for my daughters. Everyday I always take the time to ask them how their day was. I always get, "OK ". Do not stop there. I also ask what they did in a certain class or at recess. They open up and say more than "Yes," "No," and "OK>" Keep the conversation flowing and you will learn many things about you children. As I wrote before, do not think that your child is too young.

Spend quality time with you family. Bring your family together. Spend the day at the park, go for a walk, or go see a movie. You will find out your children's likes and dislikes. (Hopefully!) Talking will reduce stress and pressure that builds in every person. Not only your child, but also in you.

The website also states that parents should go to support groups. You are not the only parent having troubles. Do not be embarrassed to get help. Hiding a problem does not solve it. The kids deserve parents who support them and know how to help.

Just ask for advice. I do not see signs of difficulty in my daughters , yet. I need to be prepared because child anorexia can begin at any time. These websites are available to help at any time. Now is the time to be informed; before your six year old child becomes a statistic.