Eating disorders are unfortunately common in the U.S. population — according to the National Eating Disorders Association, 9% of Americans are expected to develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. Some of these people may develop the disorder as a child or young adult, which can have long-term effects on their health.
For Mental Health Awareness Month, we spoke with Dr. Todd Peters, senior vice president, chief medical officer (CMO) and chief medical information officer (CMIO) at Sheppard Pratt, about what parents should know about eating disorders in youth.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How do children and teens develop eating disorders?
There’s no single, direct cause of eating disorders. They’re multi-factorial. Biological, psychological and social factors can come together to put people at higher risk of developing an eating disorder. Having a family member with an eating disorder or a family history of mental health issues can put someone at risk of developing an eating disorder since they can be hereditary.
Psychologically, youth that are more perfectionistic or rigid and inflexible also have a higher risk, as well as youth that have gone through bullying or trauma. When people, especially young people, feel like their lives are out of control, one way of regaining that control is to control what goes in and out of your body.
What are the most common myths around eating disorders? How does this affect the way people with eating disorders are treated?
People think that an eating disorder is something that can be controlled. Well-intended people may offer solutions like “Well, just eat, then,” like having an eating disorder is a choice. Between biological and social factors, they are not something people can control. An eating disorder can be something that takes charge of your life.
People are also not always aware of the wide range of eating disorders out there. They may know about anorexia and bulimia, but there are more. And all of these are impacted by how the brain is wired — levels of chemicals like serotonin can play a role in how people struggle with eating disorders.
Aside from getting medical treatment, what are the best ways for parents to support their children with eating disorders?
The biggest thing that parents can do is to model positive behavior around food and the subject of body image. They should avoid discussing diets and weight loss and be careful to not be overly critical of their child’s physical development. Sometimes, parents who do that just want the best for their child and for them to be healthy, but in doing so, they can open the door for body image issues.
If you’re concerned about your child’s health and want to talk to them about it, you should avoid declarative statements like “You should eat more” or “You should exercise more.” We coach people to use “I see” statements like “I notice that you spend a lot of time in the bathroom after eating,” as they invite kids to open up to their parents rather than judging them.
Dr. Todd Peters is the senior vice president, chief medical officer (CMO) and chief medical information officer (CMIO) at Sheppard Pratt. His clinical expertise spans electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), child and adolescent psychiatry, medical informatics, anxiety disorders, mood disorders and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
