Eating disorders are commonly present during the adolescent years, age 14-18. As with children who develop eating disorders, teenagers tend to have anorexia nervosa, with or without binge/purging behaviors. Prior to development of the eating disorder, most teens would be described as academically rigorous, perfectionist, and generally ‘good’ kids who caused no difficulty for their parents.
Signs of Teenage Anorexia Nervosa
- Controlling weight through the refusal of food (often secretively)
- Use of excessive exercise either in socially acceptable means or secretively
- Purging, and other inappropriate forms of compensation, such as diuretics or laxatives.
- Rapid loss in weight or maintaining weight, instead of normal growth patterns
Teenage Eating Disorder Effects and Treatment
Medical complications of an eating disorder at this age include loss of bone density, possible loss of height potential, abnormal heart rhythms, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In addition, girls at the appropriate age may experience a loss or delay of menses, which may have long-term consequences.
The treatment program at CCED utilizes Maudsley Family Based Therapy, which was developed particularly for working with children and teenagers in a family-based setting and shows high levels of success.