Your child exploring net to know about anorexia and bulimia? What should you do?
If your child is exploring web to check out eating disorders then you need to be alert. Scientists say, this can be disturbing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean there is reason to worry. All you need to do is just find out why.
Scientists say there can be acceptable reasons for such a search. It could be for a school project or for a friend suffering from such issues.
All you need to do is to talk to your child and find out is it their normal behavior or something wrong is happening.
As the websites for anorexia and bulimia go by the code names ’ana’ and ’mia’, they are often referred to as pro-ana and pro-mia.
At first try to find out types of sites they are looking at. You need to ascertain whether these sites are research sites that describe eating disorders and their symptoms or are promoting eating disorders as a lifestyle choice?
There are many sites that have been created by those with eating disorders who follow anorexia as a lifestyle choice. These types of websites contain materials that encourage others through starvation or purging. This may be harmful for your child.
Also don’t forget to look into your child’s video viewing history. You may find link of videos related to eating disorders on sites like YouTube. Have a gentle conversation to ask why your child was visiting these sites before jumping to conclusions.
Experts say, there is a common misperception that only girls struggle with eating disorders and not males. However, they also struggle with eating disorders.
All you need to do is to keep an eye on your child’s dramatic weight loss, if any. If you do find cause for concern then go to GP for help. The sooner you seek support, the better the chances of your child overcoming these serious psychiatric illnesses.
