Eating Disorder Development During Adolescence

An eating disorder can develop at any time, but many times they start in adolescence. Adolescence is a time of major change. Moving on from childhood, adolescents face changing roles in society, changing bodies and attitudes, new activities and responsibilities, and so much more. With so much about their lives in flux, it can be hard to know what to do when challenges such as negative body image or disordered eating behaviors arise.

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According to the NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association), almost 30 million Americans have or will experience an eating disorder in their lifetimes. Even though it’s become a stereotype that keeps people from getting help from professionals, the fact remains that adolescence remains the most common time when eating disorders develop. Adolescents and young adults aged 15 – 24 are the most likely to develop an eating disorder, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa among others, and they may not know what to do if they start seeing the signs of disordered eating behaviors in themselves. This is even more troubling when you consider the potential health risks that come with eating disorders.

We don’t want to harp on the doom and gloom of eating disorders – they are treatable, after all, and negativity doesn’t help the situation – but it must be briefly addressed. Eating disorders are dangerous. Various health and emotional risks can result from an untreated eating disorder, with rates of malnutrition, liver and kidney disease, and suicide dramatically increasing. Preventing these complications is possible, and much easier if early action is taken. Following a diagnosis of an eating disorder, parents and teens looking to enter treatment may feel they’re facing a long, hard road – but the path to recovery contains hope for the future.

What Should I Do if I Think I’m Developing an Eating Disorder?

First, let us congratulate you on your self-awareness and sincere wish to repair your relationship with food and eating. It takes courage to face a problem head-on, and very often eating disorders can skew a person’s thought process. Indeed, the body dysmorphia that comes with many eating disorders causes them to perceive their body weight and shape in a distorted way – they might think they are “fat” or overweight even if a doctor would say they are at a healthy weight. So your ability to objectively look at how you relate to your body and your eating patterns is a wonderful first step.

Below are some steps you can take if you think you’re developing an eating disorder. This is a suggested plan of action, but there's no one plan to fit all. if your struggling and/or having thoughts of self-harm, always reach out to 911 in an emergency or call your doctor right away.

1. Learn More About Eating Disorders

Did you know that the most common kind of eating disorder isn’t anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but binge eating disorder? Did you know it’s possible to have anorexia nervosa without becoming medically underweight? Eating disorders come in as many forms as the people who get them. That’s why if you notice unusual eating patterns or attitudes about food in yourself, you should educate yourself about what the symptoms are.

At Monte Nido, you can take a quick online self-assessment to help you understand if you might need support. It’s not a replacement for seeing a doctor or therapist who can make a full and complete diagnosis, but it can give you an idea about which, if any, of your eating patterns or self-perceptions might indicate there is a problem. Try to answer the questions as objectively as possible.

2. Find Someone to Talk to About Your Developing Eating Disorder

By “someone” we mean a trusted adult or professional– although you can certainly talk to your friends, most adolescents will need the help of a trusted adult to take the next steps. Most likely you’ll want to talk to your parents first, but if this isn’t the case, don’t worry. Speaking to mom or dad about a difficult personal problem isn’t easy for everyone. Just keep in mind that eventually they’ll have to be involved – and beyond that, they love you and want you to be your healthiest self.

Hopefully there are some adults in your life you can speak to – like a family friend, aunt or uncle, your grandparents, or even a teacher or coach. Your school might provide resources like adolescent-focused counselors. If you’re struggling, or if you are feeling a desire to self-harm (a frequent co-related symptom of eating disorders), please talk to your parents or another adult as soon as you can.

You'll also want to speak with a professional, and of course, your parents will eventually come into the loop, but the first step is talking to someone – anyone – who will caringly listen and support you.

3. Figure Out What Your Options Are for Eating Disorder Treatment

There are essentially two main kinds of treatment for eating disorders – residential and day treatment. 

In residential treatment, clients of the eating disorder treatment facility will go to live at the center. They will focus entirely on treatment during that time – residential provides 24/7 care as well as full medical, psychiatric, therapeutic, and nutritional support. Treatment centers may also cater to unique needs or demographics. For example, Monte Nido has many adolescent specific residential programs under our Monte Nido Clementine brand.

Day treatment programs (which are sometimes called outpatient programs, although they don’t strictly overlap in their scope and the types of treatment available) and can be a great option (if medically appropriate) for adolescents or individuals who need to balance things like school, social life, and treatment. Based on medical need, there is PHP and IOP programs that are part of day treatment. IOP offers the most schedule flexibility. Some centers, like Monte Nido, also offer PHP and IOP Virtual Day Programs as well.

Many of the day treatment sessions will be centered around group therapy, including family therapy with adolescents with similar situations. 

4. Invest in Eating Disorder Recovery for Yourself and Your Future

The best thing you can do after researching your options, speaking to someone you can trust, and finding an eating disorder recovery program is taking the next step to healing. That sounds easy, but the truth is, eating disorders are insidious – they’ll tell you that there is no problem, that you don’t need help, and so on. It can be hard to ignore them, but give it your all and listen to the people in your life supporting you through recovery.

If you understand that it will be a difficult and most likely, long process, you might be able to avoid the expectation that you’ll be suddenly “cured” after 30 days. There are so many positives that stem from the eating disorder recovery process that the challenge of treatment is completely worth it.

Because of these factors, it’s not uncommon for teens (and adults) in treatment to want to quit, to get back to their old routine. That’s why you should regularly remind yourself what’s at stake – your emotional wellbeing, your physical health, and your family and friend’s worries as well.

Get help today

If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, remember how much life still has to offer you. Reach out for help and you’ll find that hands are reaching back to help you.

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