health

Teenagers with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder often try
to hide the problem, so formal diagnosis can be delayed or difficult.
Even when caring friends or family members ask about the weight loss
or other symptoms, most teenagers with eating disorders are ashamed
or embarrassed, especially by the purging that accompanies bulimia.
Because of distorted body image, those with anorexia may not be able to
recognize the seriousness of their extreme weight loss. Unbearable fear
of being fat may cause people with anorexia to resist attempts to help
them gain weight. A concerned health professional might ask questions
about eating, body image, and exercise. Blood or other laboratory tests
can help determine if a person’s nutrition is adequate and if general
body chemistry is balanced. A careful interview and health history may
reveal concerns about body image or distorted opinions about body
appearance.
A doctor can generally determine if adults are obese by measuring their
body weight and height. Obesity in children can be similarly determined
but these measurements should be considered more carefully because the
child is still growing. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a
significant rise in obesity in children in the United States, in part a result
of people eating more frequently in fast food restaurants, watching a lot
of television, working or playing games on computers, and engaging in
other activities that promote overeating and a sedentary (sitting too much
with little exercise) lifestyle.