Eating Disorders & Poor Eating Habits in Children

It is a must to check eating disorders and poor eating habits in children before it is too late. Such disorders and habits can seriously affect their health. Let us take a look at some of the common eating disorders and poor eating habits in children.Your child developing bad eating habits at such a young age is disheartening. Children nowadays tend to develop bad eating habits at a very young age. These affect their health and therefore obesity seems to be the most predominant problem observed in today’s youngsters. They do not get the required nutrition as they do not eat what is healthy for them. All these ultimately seem to threaten their future lives when they are adults. Here are eating disorders and harmful eating habits observed in children nowadays. In this articleAnorexiaBulimiaBinge EatingPurgingOther Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)Not Eating Meals on TimeSkipping MealsEating Oily and Fatty FoodsEating Late at NightPreferring Supplements over FoodEating Disorders in ChildrenLet us take a look at the common eating disorders in children.AnorexiaAnorexia is very common eating disorder among kids, especially among teenagers. In order to look like slim and trim like their favorite movie stars, kids are always afraid of getting fat and reduce their food consumption. It makes them underweight and malnourished.BulimiaBulimia or overeating is another eating disorder that kids are fast adopting. Children with this habit tend to eat without any control. The cropping up of fast food chains is one reason why this habit seems to be so common. Kids cannot stay away from the stuff offered there and gaining weight and becoming obese.Binge EatingBinge eating is another eating disorder. The kids with this habit eat even when they are not hungry. They overeat out of habit. They eat so much that they themselves feel uncomfortable and fall ill. At times they eat as they are ashamed of their bodies. They do not purge themselves like in bulimia.PurgingA similar condition to anorexia is the habit of purging. Kids after a spell of eating feel the need to rid themselves of the fat. So instead of opting for exercise or healthy food, they try to vomit what they have eaten. This habit can be very harmful in the long run.Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)There are many children who show signs of both anorexia and bulimia. They at times starve themselves out of guilt and later binge eat to feel better. They are categorized under Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder(OSFED). Their symptoms are a combination of both and it is more harmful to the child.Poor Eating Habits in ChildrenHave a quick look at the poor eating habits in children.Not Eating Meals on TimeAnother common eating habit manifest among kids is that they refuse to eat their meals on time. The habit becomes worse when they grow up. The body is a complex machine that runs on order. Any deviation from the norm can cause breakdown. Eating at wrong time can cause many complications.Skipping MealsSkipping meals has also become a common phenomenon for kids. They feel the need to diet at times, therefore skipping some meals, like lunch. Also because they go off to school, to save their lunch money they skip lunch. Many skip dinner to avoid weight gain and many skip breakfast as they oversleep and feel that they can make it up with a brunch.Eating Oily and Fatty FoodsEating healthy seems to be an alien concept to kids nowadays. They are only fond of the greasy, fatty stuff churned out by the fast food chains. Snacks high in cholesterol and starch are preferred by them over healthy home food. These deprive their body of nutrients.Eating Late at NightA result of skipping meals is that kids tend to eat at night. They stay up either for homework or watching TV shows and get midnight hunger pangs. They stuff themselves with sugary and fatty food leading to obesity, over time.Preferring Supplements over FoodTaking health supplements is a trend gaining foot. Teenagers pop pills thinking it will substitute the missed nutrition from the skipped foods.All these eating habits lead to the kid getting sick and having bodily diseases. As a parent it is your responsibility to try to change their bad habits and make them eat healthy and in proper amounts. Extreme cases should be taken to a doctor.What kind of eating disorders are common in children? How to break poor eating habits in children? What are the ways to inculcate good eating habits in children? Discuss here.