A well balanced diet and good food habits is the secret of the well being of an individual. A healthy and happy life depends largely on what you eat and the food habits that you follow. However the modern lifestyle and brought with it some disadvantages among which eating disorders form a vital part.

An eating disorder is a condition where the person tends to either starve or binge on his food. Children are more likely to face eating disorders either because they subject themselves to torture by overeating or by not eating at all.

Eating disorders can have terrible results for any individual. If a child suffers from eating disorders then it can ruin the entire life of the child. A child must follow proper eating habits and if he is found to have eating disorders then it must be overcome with direct effect.

Identifying Eating Disorders among Children:

To identify that a child is suffering from an eating disorder, the following points need to be considered:

a) Child refuses to eat or eats very little.
b) Child has a great fear of being fat.
c) He has a distorted body image of himself.
d) Over-exercising for a long time.
e) Child regularly hoards and hides food.
f) Eating secretly.
g) Disappearing to the bathroom after eating.
h) Enormous increase or decrease in weight.
i) He becomes socially inactive.
j) Depression and irritability.
k)  Cramps in stomach.
l) Dizziness
m) Sleep problems
n) Causes vomiting
o) Dry skin
p) Muscle weakness
q) Change of skin-colour. Skin becomes yellow in colour.

There are several causes for it :

1) Parental negligence
2) Rapidly changing food habits
3) Decrease in the focus on a balanced diet
4) An ever-changing lifestyle.

Treating Eating Disorders among Children:

Some of the important steps to be taken to cure eating disorders among children are as follows:
1) Put an end to the child’s anorexic behavior and begin a process of weight gain.
2) The child must eat diet which contains necessary nutrients along with a normal eating pattern.
3) Helping the child in improving his self-esteem.
4) Adolescent children, especially girls want to look like their favorite models and celebrities and want to have that perfect body-figure and hence go on an anorexic diet which needs to be curtailed.
5) Parents must make sure that their child follows a routine of proper diet and exercise.

Conclusion:

A person can remain happy, contented and can lead a normal life only when his basic needs are satisfied. Food is, of course, a basic requirement. But when food itself becomes a problem factor  then it can have adverse effects on the individual’s life itself. Eating disorders can have unthinkable effects . Hence treating eating disorders becomes extremely crucial.Disorders among children is increasing alarmingly all over the world. This has resulted in the children becoming obese, under-nourished, and anemic and develops eating disorders. Children are the future of any country and it is necessary that the future generation is strong, healthy and full of zest and vigor.