If as a parent you are worried that dieting can lead to eating disorders it is important to understand the line between eating disorders and dieting so that you will know what to look for. While the line between the two can often seem blurry, please remember that there are some distinct differences between the two. There is one thing for sure however it your child’s eating patterns stop promoting good health and begin to damage the body, it is likely that they will need eating disorder help.
Many times teens especially will cover up their extreme behavior with the excuse that they are on a diet; it is up to the parent to decide whether their child is taking the “diet” too far and in fact suffering from an eating disorder. You can use a doctor and a physical exam to help you with this; you can also visit the Center for Discovery to see what the signs of eating disorders are. Eating disorder help is always going to be important when the behavior is destructive and the teen seems unable to stop, visit our site to learn more and to talk to counselors that can help you decide if your teen needs help.