Clinical psychologist and eating disorders expert Dr Ann Colton on what to do if you are parenting a child with disordered eating
If you think your child might have an eating disorder, don’t freak out – talk to them. Photo: Getty
Might your child have an ED – an eating disorder? It’s a highly emotive and distressing question and, if we suspect they have, it’s not something we can ignore. Catching them early is crucial.
Here are some recognisable signs, according to the Priory hospital group, of disordered eating in young people: Are they compulsively exercising/weighing themselves, cutting their food into tiny pieces, going to the bathroom just after eating, socially isolating? Are they an abnormally high or low weight? Are they feeling exhausted/cold/dizzy? Bad breath/mouth infections/stomach pains?