Summary: The drive to be thin can start very young. Don't let your child become a disordered eating statistic.Concerns about being overweight begin as early as preschool age, and the drive for thinness intensifies with age. The results can have both physical and psychological repercussions, including potentially serious disordered eating. Because adolescents with eating disorders rarely seek help on their own, it is important that parents act on their suspicions quickly and not retreat behind a wall of denial. If you raise the issue with your teenager, you should expect a heated denial of any problem. But it's essential that you not back down. Melanie Cole, MS and Dr. Linda Reid-Chassiakos, MD, discuss how you can recognize signs that your child might have disordered eating issues and how you can help... and potentially save his or her life.
