500 dietitians and dietitians warn: There is a wave of eating disorders in children

Hundreds of nutrition professionals have signed a letter to parents warning of damage and fear of eating disorders among children and adolescents after two years of Corona, and highlighting the warning lights that parents must be aware of

Walla!

health

07/02/2022

Monday, 07 February 2022, 07:03

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The corona plague has changed the dietary habits of our children, and in many cases - exacerbated them.

Many parents report that children who have not eaten before, eat even less, and children who have eaten without limit - eat even more.

And not only parents are troubled by this condition, but also dietitians and dietitians who treat eating disorders in children and adolescents notice the trend of escalation, and worry.

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To the full article

This week, a letter was published, signed by more than 500 dietitians from Israel, urging parents to be aware of their children's nutrition and warning signs of the development of eating disorders.

The letter was written by 11 child and adolescent dietitians who treat eating disorders and obesity.

The purpose of the letter is to help parents receive treatment, if necessary, in the early stages - thus avoiding the need to seek treatment by a multi-professional team in hospital.

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According to the letter, some of the suspicious signs that every parent should pay attention to are emotional change in the child's condition, reduction in the variety of food and quantity, avoidance of eating together, eating secretly or overeating, excessive preoccupation with body appearance and weight.

It is important to know that even eating that seems healthy and desirable - may develop without the initial intention of an eating disorder.

These signs can help you understand if it is necessary to seek treatment.

And it is very important to recognize the signs as early as possible, as the waiting times for treatment in the various centers have increased significantly, and now many children and adolescents wait more than half a year for treatment.

"The sooner you seek professional treatment, the better and more likely the treatment will be," it said.

Listen to the children, and also to your gut feelings.

Mother and daughter (Photo: ShutterStock)

The letter also states that if a parent suspects that their child has an eating disorder, they should contact a dietitian authorized by the Ministry of Health or a family doctor, school counselor, social worker or psychologist.

In order for the professional to be able to correctly assess the child's condition, it is important to report to him in detail and honestly about the child's eating habits, his mental state, and also your feelings as a parent.

"For a long time now I have been hearing dietitians working with eating disorders and being overweight on the wave of referrals from parents who meet them, on the desire to help and at the same time lack of hours and devices. I was thinking how to reduce this wave? How to help parents?"

You will want two, a pediatric dietitian and one of the authors of the letter, "Since I am not an eating disorder dietitian, and my knowledge is in a very specific field, I joined a group of experienced dietitians and discussed many what message we want to convey to parents and how to do it. The message. "

• health

• parenthood

• Child nutrition

Tags

• Childhood obesity

• Eating Disorders

• Corona