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.