Eating Disorders May Start as Early as Elementary School

Today's generation of teens seem to be following a disturbing trend — the thinner your are, the more you'll fit in. Although this isn't true for everyone, social media, magazines with their photoshopped images, and even certain stores (have you heard of Brandy Melville?) seem to be jumping on the "be thin to win" bandwagon. Their target audience? Teens.

With all of this going on, it should come as no surprise that most eating disorders begin around this age. In fact, Canadian researches have found in a new study that eating disorders can begin as early as elementary school and may be linked to other mental issues. Although the study was small (215 children ages 8 to 12 were evaluated), it shed some light on the link between eating disorders, such as bulimia, and psychiatric problems. Even more shocking and disturbing was the revelation that an eating disorder can begin to manifest in a child before puberty even hits.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are serious illnesses that can be life-threatening if they aren't diagnosed and treated properly. Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of these eating disorders, and call your doctor if you are concerned your child might be suffering from one.

Tags