The Parents Zone

Despite the obesity crisis in the United States, eating disorders of another variety are on the rise: more and more American children are being hospitalized for eating disorders that involve not consuming enough food. A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics is spotlighting the fact that too many children in this country are restricting their diets, exercising too much, purging and participating in other activities that are promoting unhealthy weight loss.

While the data is not new (it’s based on an analysis by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released last year), it is startling. Between 1999 and 2006, hospitalizations for eating disorders in kids under 12 years old grew by 119 percent.

“It’s not our data; but we are highlighting it,” Dr. David S. Rosen, professor of pediactrics, internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Michigan Health System, told AOL Health Tuesday morning. Rosen is the report’s lead author.

“We think not all clinicians and families are aware of this data,” he adds. And while one might assume the eating disorders presenting the most concern are anorexia nervosa and bulimia, that’s not the case. Rosen says the most common eating disorders have no names and are classified as “eating disorders not otherwise specified.” Most children highlighted in the report were suffering from partial syndrome disorders. That means a child might not be anorexic, but may be engaging in a lot of behaviors that could lead to it.

But why is the dramatic increase in eating disorders occurring in children and not teens?

More on Eating Disorders

• Eating Disorders and the Family
• Eating Disorders – Dad and Daughter on Opposite Sides
• Boys Can Have Eating Disorders Too

Rosen thinks the debate on the obesity crisis has had some unintended consequences on children. “A 20-year-old can understand the concept of how to make healthy food choices,” Rosen explains. “A 10-year-old can’t do that.” Rosen says his own experience in personal practice as well as his research has shown that many children who suffer from eating disorders have a genetic predisposition to it. They have family history of eating or anxiety disorders. That predisposition can be triggered if, for example, a parent talks persistently about size, weight, and shape.

“We have to have a more balanced way of talking about risks,” Rosen says. “We shouldn’t talk about dieting but about healthy eating. We shouldn’t talk about weight loss but about exercising.” He says changing our langugage is key.

Rosen is also concerned about the fact that parents and healthcare providers are not catching these eating disorders before they become serious health concerns, often when children are hospitalized. “We have the opportunity to catch these things a lot earlier,” he says. “We need to get to these kids when they start dieting.”

So how do you know if your child is suffering from or has the potential to be suffering from an eating disorder? Rosen says to watch for the following:

— Changes in eating habits
— Talking a lot about weight or size
— Changes in activity levels
— Compulsive behaviors

Rosen says by the time you’re seeing noticeable weight loss in your child, it’s too late. He or she already has an eating disorder. “If you’re a healthcare provider seeing an 11-year-old for his annual check-up, ask what his eating habits are,” Rosen says. “Ask if he is comfortable with his body and how he is exercising.”

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