How to recognize signs of anorexia in your teenage daughter

In this day and age there is so much pressure on girls to be thin and beautiful. It is sad that so many beautiful young ladies are looking in the mirror and not recognizing that they are just that, beautiful. With celebrities that many teenage girls look up to becoming thinner and thinner it is simply something that desire to become. Instead of having normal role models many teenage girls are looking up to these celebrities that are size 2 or 0. Being able to recognize signs that your teenage girl may be developing an eating disorder is the best way to help her get over her body image issues.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Commitment
• Love
• Understanding
• Patience

1. When I was a teenager myself, I had anorexia and became very thin and my parents didn't seem to notice i was in trouble. They would often ask why aren't you eating your food or why are you exercising so much, but never really ASKED me. So I can speak first hand on this issue since i was in the situations and I now have a little girl to look after. Here are some signs that she may have anorexia....
2. * A dramatic weight loss recently
   * Complains of being cold often
   * Always saying she is fat, when she is not
   * Frequently weighing herself
   * Dry, dull, hair
   * Brittle nails
   * Change in skin tone
   * Three consecutive missed menstrual periods
   * No energy
   * Not wanting to eat in front of you
   * Making up excuses like she already ate or shes not hungry
   * Frequent trips to the bathroom
   * Wearing baggy clothes often
   * May be withdrawn from friends and family
3. Anorexia nervosa usually just called anorexia, is a self destructing addition to not eating. Many times the one suffering from this condition will deny that they have a problem and see themselves as overweight when they are at a healthy weight or even under weight. They frequently make up excuses about why they are not eating and sometimes they may even binge at eat excessively only to throw it up later.
   
   Another form of anorexia is taking many laxatives. They may eat and then take laxatives to get rid of the food they ate. They have a fear of weighing a healthy weight and will do anything they can to get rid of the weight even if it means starving. There are basically two different forms of anorexia...
   
   Restricting type that will eat very little amount of food. They lose weight because they are not taking in enough calories. Often they also excessively exercise.
4. Purging type that consume food and get rid of it any way that they can. They make themselves throw up or take laxatives and other methods.
   
   Anorexia is a serious disease that really needs help at the first signs of a problem. It can affect a girl for the rest of her life and she can even die from this disorder. If you feel that your teenager is experiencing any of these symptoms then you need to take them to their doctor to get examined. Anorexia is a serious problem that needs help!
5. If she is showing ANY signs of this disease you should talk to her and see why she is doing this to herself. She may tell you over and over that she has no problem but listen to your intuition. There are many different forms of treatment that you can get her and you should find the one that will best suit her needs.
   
   Don't blow this off as a teenage thing! it is important to answer her cries for help or it can affect her throughout her adulthood!

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to your teenager
• Don't blow anorexia off as a fade diet
• Never ignore the signs of anorexia