Eating Disorders in Teens

Nearly one sixth of high school boys and one third of high school girls show some of the symptoms of an eating disorder, according to a presentation at the 2001 annual meeting of The Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Over 5000 students from 152 high schools nationwide were surveyed about their eating habits. Very unhealthy symptoms such as compulsive eating, binge eating, and vomiting were more common that suspected. 12% of the high school girls surveyed said they vomited to control their weight!

Eating problems are much easier to treat before they become full-blown eating disorders. Seek help from a healthcare professional if you wonder about a problem in your teen.