Teen years is a time of exploration. Body image and self image seem to play a large part. Is your teens self image strong enough to avoid the pitfalls of dangerous diets?
Teen years are tough enough without the added pressure of the media to look thin. Teenagers undergo both real and imagined pressures of school, family, work and peer pressure. To top it all off, the media bombards them with images to look a certain way.
The media pressure is difficult enough for full-grown adults, how are teens, who are approaching the most vulnerable stage of their development, to handle the strong media influence to look thin. Unfortunately, dieting is one of the ways in which teens handle the pressure to be thin. Too many teens go on dangerous diets in an attempt to reach the unobtainable media imposed ideal weight. Here's where the watchful eye of a parent or guardian is needed to keep them grounded and healthy.
Here are a few clues to look for to determine if a teen is on a dangerous diet:
Teen's Body Image
Be tuned to the teen's body image perception. Listen for statements that are dead giveaways as to a teen's self body image. Does the teen constantly compare herself to thinner friends or movie stars? Does she think life would be much better if she weighed much less? What about statements like, "I look fat." "My thighs are too heavy." Or, "My belly is too big." Constant complaining about certain areas of the body may be an indicator of an unhealthy body image. If the teen loses weight and still sees herself as heavy, this can be a cause for concern.
Clothing Issues and Weight Gain
Keep an eye out on the type of clothes the teenager is wearing. If a teen that previously wore tight clothes suddenly switches to the current style of baggy pants and extra large shirts, find out if it is truly a sudden style change or weight change. Some teens try to hide excessive weight loss under baggy clothes.
Notice an unnatural fear of weight gain. Understandably most teenagers don't want to gain weight and will modify eating habits accordingly. However, a teen that feels compelled to exercise for two to three hours as a result of eating a meal is exhibiting an unnatural reaction to food. Excessive exercising is another sign for parents and guardians to look out for.
Behavior and Health
Look for changes in behavior. Does she cut the food into small pieces and move it around the plate, eating very little of it? Anorexics will do what ever it takes not to eat. Does she disappear after a meal? Bulimics tend to go to the bathroom right after a meal to purge. Eating in secrecy is another reason for concern.
Keep track of the teens overall health. Does the teen often complain about feeling lightheaded, tired and/or rundown? Look into his eyes. Does he have dark circles under his eyes? Has his complexion changed? Is his hair falling out? Does he look healthy? Any one of these symptoms do not in and of itself mean the teen is on a dangerous diet, but it is a cause for concern.
It's not always easy to determine if a child is on a dangerous diet. Sometimes healthy dieting goes one step too far and becomes an obsession. Sites such as Over Weight Teen.com/" and Kids Health.org offer tips and advice on teen weight loss and dieting.
