Eating disorders affect children of all ages

Eating disorders affect children of all ages

JAKARTA (JP): Eating seems like a routine activity. But it is
not as simple as it looks, especially for children.

For children, eating is a complicated matter which involves
various physical and environmental factors, such as the influence
of their family and especially their mothers, according to
pediatrician Damayanti R. Sjarif of Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital.

She said that eating disorders can occur in children of all
ages and that it was important to provide them with adequate
nutrition necessary for, among other things, normal healthy
metabolic functions.

But the main cause and type of eating disorder, along with its
seriousness, is different for every child.

She said there were many factors which led to eating disorders
in children, such as diseases or certain disabilities.

She said that when a child experienced an eating disorder
while suffering from an serious health problem, it would not have
a significant impact on his or her health or development. In
certain cases, the disorder was purely a parental concern due to
a wrong perception of an eating problem faced by a child, she
added.

"But protracted and serious eating disorders might pose a
negative impact on a child since they might affect his or her
development, health condition and certainly would affect his or
her daily activities," Damayanti told Antara news agency.

She explained that if the amount of food as a source of energy
and protein was not attained by an individual for a long period
of time, the deficiency might hamper a child's development.

In a baby's case, it might affect the infant's ability to
grow, while for toddlers and those below five years of age, it
would certainly lead to deficiencies in calorie and protein
intake.

Eating disorders are an individual problem, even for children.
So, any efforts to cure the condition should also be conducted
with an individual approach and consideration of all the factors
that cause the problem in the first place.

For children with a simple eating disorder, for example those
who are having problems eating ordinary food, Damayanti said that
the problem could be solved in a simple way, such as by providing
liquid food.

But to solve serious eating disorders, there is a need to
evaluate three aspects: identifying factors that cause the
disorder and evaluating the factors and their impact before
starting the treatment.