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Nutrition plays a vital role in children’s development and their healthy physical and mental growth and development. The most important factor in ensuring children’s health is a balanced and adequate diet.

Eating disorders are a serious mental health issue commonly seen in adolescents. Eating disorders negatively affect many organs in children and their functioning. As a result, a variety of physiological and psychological problems may arise. There are various types of eating disorders that can affect children and adolescents. These include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, pica, rumination disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and binge-eating disorder. Depending on the type of eating disorder, the forms of intervention also vary.

What Is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to as anorexia, is an eating disorder in which individuals maintain a weight below average standards for their age and height. Children with this condition—especially adolescents—have an intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight. They may restrict their food intake or perceive themselves as “overweight” even when they are very thin.

Children and adolescents with anorexia who are concerned about being overweight may starve themselves to the extreme; they may start eating very little, even forcing themselves to vomit after eating, and may purge what they have eaten. They may engage in excessive exercise to the point where it negatively affects them. They may not realize how harmful this is to their physical and mental health.

It usually begins to appear during adolescence, around ages 12–13 (in girls, typically along with the onset of menstruation).

What Are the Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?

People with anorexia nervosa are afraid of being overweight, and even if they aren’t actually overweight, they believe they are. As a result, they are afraid to eat or try not to eat at all. They are constantly afraid of gaining weight.

They constantly try to restrict their food intake, and when they are unable to do so, they tend to vomit. They want to get rid of what they’ve eaten. The symptoms of this disorder can be listed as follows:

Öfke ve kızgınlık halleri
Fazla kilo durumuna yönelik şikayetler
Açlık durumlarının reddedilmesi
Yemek yeme direnmeleri
Öğünleri atlamak ya da öğünlerde çok az yemek
Uyku problemleri
Sürekli tartılarak hep kilo aldığını takıntı haline getirmek
Porsiyonları aşırı küçültmek
Cinsel ilgi azalması

What Is Bulimia Nervosa?

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person eats excessively, goes through episodes of uncontrolled eating, and then tries to eliminate or get rid of the calories. These individuals typically induce vomiting or try to exercise by running on a treadmill for hours. Bulimia is one of the most common eating disorders in the world. People with bulimia are actually of average weight.

Binge eating disorder is typically a specific condition. It generally begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and is most commonly diagnosed in women. People with bulimia often have other mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and self-harming behaviors.

What Are the Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa?

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that presents with a wide range of symptoms. Although most symptoms vary from person to person, some of these symptoms include:

Kilo alma korkusu
Aşırı derecede yemek yeme çok kısa aralıklarla
Aşırı ve zorlayıcı egzersizler yapmak
Yemeklerden sonra hemen tuvalete gitmek
Mide asidinden kaynaklı lekeli dişler
Kendi kendine bilerek kusmaya çalışma
Kilo almak için takviyeler veya şifalı otlar kullanmak
Reflü rahatsızlığı
Öğünlerde sık sık çok miktarda yenmesi
Yemek yeme sırasında kendini kontrol edemediği ne yediğini bilmediği hissi
Vücudu ile ve kilosu ile sürekli ilgilenmesi
Sürekli besinlerin kalorilerini hesaplama
Ellerde veya eklemlerde nasırlaşma
Kabızlık, ishal
Cinsel isteksizlik
Depresyon ve kaygı duygu durum bozuklukları
Kendine zarar verme ve intihar düşünceleri

What Is Pica?

Pica, an eating disorder typically seen in infants and children, is the persistent consumption of non-food items and inedible substances with no nutritional value. Although it is usually harmless, ingesting certain specific substances can make pica a very dangerous condition. However, since pica is generally a mental health issue, it can be treated through therapy and changes in lifestyle and environment.

Pica is an eating disorder in which people eat non-food items that have no nutritional value. It can be extremely dangerous for people with this condition to ingest toxic or hazardous substances. Pica can affect people of any age, but it is particularly common in young children or individuals with mental health conditions, especially those with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, or schizophrenia.

People with pica most commonly consume ash, chalk, clay, or soil; feces; hair; string; paper; soap; wool; or fabric.

What Are the Symptoms of Pica?

The most prominent symptom of pica is actually the compulsive urge to eat non-food items that have no nutritional value. People with this condition typically prefer a single non-food item and eat it constantly.

However, there are also some symptoms of pica. These symptoms can be listed as follows:

Düşük demir (Anemi)
Ascariasis (yuvarlak kurt enfeksiyonu) oluşumu
Kabızlık
Elektrolit dengesizliği
Düzensiz kalp ritimleri
İnce bağırsak ve kalın bağırsak tıkanıklıkları

Rumination Disorder

Rumination syndrome is an eating disorder in which people repeatedly and involuntarily regurgitate undigested or partially digested food from the stomach, chew it again, and then either swallow it again or spit it out. Because the food has not yet been digested, it tastes normal and is not acidic like vomit. Rumination generally occurs with every meal, immediately after eating. People with rumination syndrome do not vomit food because of stomach discomfort or because they feel sick.

It is known that rumination syndrome occurs in infants and individuals with developmental disabilities, but it can also be observed in people of all ages. Severe stress or anxiety are major triggers of rumination syndrome.

Treatment for people with rumination disorder may include behavioral therapy or medication. Behavioral therapy that incorporates breathing exercises is the preferred standard of care.