What used to be common problems in high school are now trickling down to middle school. And according to a recent article I read at “CNN Health,” anorexia is becoming yet another problem for tweens.
Tweens are considered to be children who are between the ages of 9 and 12 years old. Yes, even at these young ages they are beginning to worry about their weight and apparently to a point that they are actually developing anorexia.
It starts even younger when girls begin to point out to others that they are fat (or they worry that they are fat). Those words seem to stick like glue and in some girls, can begin to create a very unhealthy pattern in their lives.
So why have these worries trickled down to our tweens? Could it be that our society focuses so much on weight that it’s in their face all the time? Yet how we do avoid it? Because the reality is that weight is a serious issue for millions of Americans and is costing billions in healthcare to treat medical conditions that result from obesity.
So if we ignore it we don’t solve the problems but if we talk about it, we bring so much attention to it that it can become an unhealthy fixation. This is where eating disorders come into play. And if they aren’t treated early on, it could lead to devastating results.
Younger children are at a greater risk of becoming seriously sick from an eating disorder because their brains are still developing and they lack body fat. So parents need to be on guard that their tweens aren’t developing unhealthy views of their bodies.
I suppose we could also blame Hollywood who praises the size 0. Stick thin actresses make us think that it’s the only way to be truly happy. Tweens are paying attention to this and like it or not, they are influenced by it.
The first step is recognizing this is a very real problem amongst not just teenagers but tweens as well. If you suspect your daughter is struggling with her body, don’t ignore it or laugh it off. Address it immediately. And don’t think this just pertains to girls. Boys are struggling with the same kinds of eating disorders.
What do you think is causing tweens to develop eating disorders like anorexia?
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