These behaviours can escalate quickly but recognising them is crucial for timely intervention.
GPs are being urged to act quickly when parents report changes in their child’s eating habits.
A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders identified 214 individual early warning signs of a developing adolescent eating disorder. Flinders University researchers said a third of Australian children engage in disordered eating behaviours in any given year.
Professor Tracey Wade, study author and eating disorder expert at Flinders University, told TMR that GPs should take parent’s concerns seriously.
“Children get seriously unwell very quickly when experiencing malnutrition, regardless of their body mass index,” the clinical psychologist said.
She recommended directing parents to Feed Your Instinct, a site which provides resources and a toolkit to help parents organise their concerns into a report which they can then provide to their GP for further discussion.
“The good news is that most young people who are identified early in the development of an eating disorder, and who receive appropriate treatment, are reported to recover,” she said.
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The most common early warning signs were:
- Excessive or compulsive exercise – such as exercising in secret (in the middle of the night or in their bedroom)
- Any obvious weight loss or gain
- Obsession or preoccupation with food or food preparation
- Cutting out major food groups such as carbohydrates or dairy
- Secrecy or dishonesty around food or eating – such as reporting they have eaten elsewhere or saying they have already eaten with a friend
- Obsession or preoccupation with body image, weight, shape and size
- Self-induced vomiting or making themselves sick, or signs of self-induced vomiting
- Changes in bathroom habits – such as frequent visits to the bathroom after meals or eating
- Skipping meals – such as avoiding food, mealtimes, or situations involving food
- Rituals and rules about food and eating – such as eating food in a certain order, cutting food into tiny pieces, or a fixation on using the same crockery or cutlery
“If parents spot any of the early warning signs, we’d encourage them to start having conversations about their concerns and ask their GP for an assessment,” said co-author Dr Jamie-Lee Pennesi, clinical psychologist and eating disorder expert at Flinders University.
“We want parents and caregivers to be able to recognise the early signs of eating disorders in children as early as possible and to act swiftly in seeking professional support.”
Dr Pennesi said more young children than ever before are being diagnosed with eating disorders, and that early behaviours could quickly develop into serious disorders if not addressed.
Parents of children aged 5-12 years who are diagnosed with an eating disorder can take part in the research team’s new study via a brief online survey.
