The old saying goes that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". That's especially true of serious illnesses like eating disorders. Learning to recognize the signs that a young person may be prone to developing an eating disorder can help avert a potentially deadly condition.

"The researchers [from University College Dublin] went back to look at data from the 2002 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study involving 2,649 children. This showed that 32[percent] of the adolescents were underweight and, of this group, one in 10 'thought they were fat'."

The latter group, which also were more likely to choose a large silhouette as "mirroring" their body image, was identified as being at risk of developing an eating disorder. This group was also generally more unhappy, more dissatisfied with life and more likely to perceive themselves as 'not good looking'. Though they're general indicators, they can help identify a young person with self-image issues serious enough to lead to an eating disorder.

The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment can offer a clear diagnosis and treatment plan for teenagers struggling from many common issues.

Labels: awareness, diagnosis, prevention