Binge Eating Disorder in Children & Teens

Conditions & Diseases: Eating & Weight Disorders

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder in Children and Teens

Some parents notice that around the "teen years," their children eat more than normal by gorging leftovers from previous meals in a flash followed by a handful of cookies and a bag of chips that is being eaten at a fast rate. Some parents might not find these behavior to be abnormal especially when their children are going through the growing spurs. While in most cases an excessive appetite is normal due to the child's increased need for nutrients that support their growth, in some cases such eating behavior can be a sign of an eating disorder. Heavy snaking and consuming large amounts of food, especially when associated with feelings of guilt and secrecy are sings of binge eating disorder.

There are several distinct signs that distinguish between a healthy appetite and an eating disorder. One of the alarming signs that a child might be developing binge eating disorder is the absence of large amounts of food from the refrigerator or pantry, even if it would be hard to imagine that a child could eat so much. In some cases, parents find food containers hidden in the child's room. In addition to the increased and abnormal amount of food consumed, the child's eating patterns are very irregular and may range from skipping meals to gorging on lots of junk food or eating at unusual hours such as very late in the night. Parents may notice that binge eating usually occurs in response to emotional stressors such as: peer pressure, poor academic performance, familial conflicts, and is accompanied by feelings of shame and disgust.

Although it is not clear what factors contribute or trigger the disorder at such a young age, numerous studies have focused on examining the risk factors that lead to disordered eating in children and adolescence. Two of the most prevalent behaviors that emerged in studies conducted on children with binge eating disorder are secretive eating and overeating.

According to a 5-year study, 18.1 percent of the children ate secretly, while 33.8 percent overate, and "... the emergence of the disturbed eating behaviors accelerated each year and that rates were highest at the age of 5 years." The study also indicates that several parental characteristics such as "maternal eating disinibition, hunger, body dissatisfaction, body mass index, parental history of overweight, and predicted overeating" predict the mergence of disfunctional eating behaviors. According to 2-years study conducted in 2002 on adolescent girls found that factors such as "... dieting, pressure to be thin, modeling of eating disturbances, appearance overvaluation, body dissatisfaction, depressive symptoms, emotional eating, body mass, low self-esteem, and social support predicted binge eating disorder with 92 percent accuracy." (6) Two others significant factors with a particular importance in the emergence of binge eating that were identified by different lines of investigation were the presence of negative affectivity and depressive disorders.

If the parents suspect the presence of binge eating disorder, they should seek advice and help with professionals that are trained in the treatment of eating disorders. The disorder needs to be addressed as soon as possible in order to avoid long lasting effects and consequences. One of the major health threats of suffering from binge eating disorder at such a young age is gaining weight to the point of become obese. The health risks associated with being obese at young ages are the same for all ages and include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer. From the perspective of psychological consequences, this disorder can be debilitating as it leads to depression and anxiety due to isolation, rejection from peers, and being teased for the weight problem. Children are more vulnerable than adults to social rejection and isolation, and it can mark them for the rest of their life.

Article by Alina Morrow
MS Psychology
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com