Early Onset Eating Disorders Associated with Life Threatening Complications

The stereotype of individuals with eating disorders is centered on young females, and parents of teenagers may be on the alert to watch for unusual behaviors associated with eating disorders. The disorders, however, affect all ages and may be missed in a loved one that does not fit into a parent’s idea of a child at risk for an eating disorder.

A recent study looked at the dangers associated with early onset eating disorders and found that potentially life-threatening medical complications are common in children afflicted with the disorders. The study was published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 2009.

The study is the first national study of early onset eating disorders. Its examination of children struggling with the disorders revealed that there may be inadequate diagnostic criteria for establishing a diagnosis and treatment options for children with eating disorders. It also highlights a need for more education about children and eating disorders for health professionals.

The researchers looked at information from the admissions of 101 children hospitalized for early onset eating disorders. The children were all between the ages of 5 and 13 years. 78 percent of the children were hospitalized, with the average length of stay reaching almost 25 days.

Dr. Sloane Madden is a leading child psychologist from Westmead Children’s Hospital and is a co-author of the study. She said that the results reveal that younger children with early onset eating disorders are being diagnosed as a result of exhibiting symptoms of severe disease.

She explained that while only 37 percent of the inpatients examined in the study met the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, most of the inpatients showed symptoms of dangerous eating behaviors. 61 percent of the patients had potentially life-threatening problems related to malnutrition and only 51 percent of the patients met the weight criteria.

Dr. Madden says that the study’s results show a need for a revision in the criteria used for diagnosing young children with anorexia nervosa. She adds that the evidence of potentially life-threatening complications like severe malnutrition suggest that the health professional working with the children may need better education about the signs of eating disorders and appropriate treatment. There are too many missed diagnoses.

Also discussed in the MJA was the high number of boys identified as having eating disorders in the study. About a quarter of the children found to be suffering from early onset eating disorders were boys. Further research is needed to understand the difference in gender proportions among children compared to adults with eating disorders.