Overeating in teens is something that all parents should be on the lookout for. Although nearly everyone overeats at least occasionally, it is important to make the distinction between occasional indulgence, say, on Thanksgiving or at a pizza party, and habitual, often uncontrollable overeating. As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child leads a happy and healthy life, and controlling their eating habits is a huge part of that responsibility. Even if you yourself do not lead the healthiest lifestyle, it is crucial that you still attempt to better your child’s prospects. Below you will find some of the most important basic facts about overeating in teens:
It can be very destructive.
Overeating in teens can have tremendously negative impacts on your teen’s future. The eating and lifestyle habits instilled during childhood and the teenaged years will likely stick with your son or daughter throughout the remainder of their lifetime. If they are not given healthy alternatives to overeating, then they could continue this dangerous habit all through adulthood. Remember that overeating is one of the primary causes of obesity, which is itself one of the leading causes of death in America.
Obesity can lead to any number of health problems, including (but not limited to) heart disease, diabetes, joint pain, arthritis, organ strain, and even cancer. These are things that no parent wants for their child, so being overweight due to overeating is nothing to take lightly. Beyond the physical issues associated with being overweight, overeating can also have potentially devastating consequences in terms of your child’s self esteem, social life, and overall happiness and quality of life.
It could indicate a dangerous emotional disorder.
Rarely does overeating stem from a simple love of food. Rather, often times, overeating is a manifestation of an underlying emotional or mental disorder, and that disorder could be quite dangerous. For example, overeating is often cited as a symptom of depression, a serious emotional disorder which could lead to decreased quality of life and even suicide. Overeating could be indicative of a food addiction, which is grounds for seeking professional help, as it is a condition that could quickly spiral out of control.
Anxiety and low self esteem are also often characterized by overeating, and this forms a vicious cycle: Teens overeat because they feel anxious, depressed, or uncomfortable or because they have have low self esteem, but the overeating causes feelings of guilt and negative changes in their body (such as weight gain), which then increase their unhappy feelings and decrease their self esteem. As a parent, you are in the best possible position to step in and break this awful cycle.
It’s very easy to spot.
Overeating in teens is something that parents are bound to notice, so as long as they can overcome their own doubts and denial issues, then there is hope for helping their child. The signs and symptoms of overeating are quite obvious. Teens who have gained weight rapidly (beyond the weight gain typical in teens and preteens) and teens who sneak food, lie about how much they have eaten, or seem embarrassed about eating could have an eating disorder. Finally, teens who overeat as a result of certain negative emotions or moods (known simply as emotional eating) often have the type of overeating problem that is the most deeply rooted and therefore the hardest to address.
For parents who suspect that their teen could have a problem with overeating, it is important to address this issue as soon as possible. Despite the widespread acceptance of being overweight and indulging on a regular basis, the simple fact is that this lifestyle is not only unhealthy, but also could be deadly. As a parent, it is your responsibility to secure the happiness of your child’s future and the longevity of their life by teaching your teen healthy eating habits and ways of coping with emotional problems beyond turning to food. If you do not feel capable of addressing this serious problem on your own, professional help is a great alternative; in fact, in many cases, it is the only thing that produces lasting results.