Eating & Body Image Problems
Created on August 5, 2017. Last updated on June 7th, 2020 at 05:40 pm
Take me to the effective therapies for eating disorders
Many children and teens worry about their eating, weight, or body shape. But for some children and teens these worries can lead to unhealthy eating or dieting, known as eating disorders. It is important to get children with eating disorders early evidence-based treatment because many disorders can lead to serious, even life-threatening medical problems.
What are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are caused by strange eating behaviors. These behaviors are usually harmful ways to control body shape or weight, and cause the child to view his or her own body in a negative way. There are a variety of eating disorders, including:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
- Binge eating disorder
- Bulimia nervosa
- Pica
- Rumination disorder
Effective Therapies for Eating Disorders
Doctors have found certain treatments are the most helpful for children with eating disorders.
- For anorexia nervosa, research shows that family-based treatment—also known as Maudsley family therapy works well
- For bulimia nervosa, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and family-based treatment are options that “might work”
- Binge eating disorder was only recently identified as an eating disorder. Because of this, there are no child and adolescent therapies that have been tested for effectiveness. But CBT is somewhat effective in teens with binge eating disorder
Research has shown that some medications, such as antidepressants, may be helpful for adolescents suffering from bulimia nervosa, but only as a second option to therapy. Additionally, while atypical antipsychotics for body image distortion, weight-gain fears, and anxiety related to anorexia nervosa have been shown to be helpful in adults, there is no solid evidence to suggest that these medications work well for adolescents.
| Level One: Works Well |
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| Level Two: Works |
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| Level Three: Might Work |
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| Level Four: Experimental |
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| Level Five: Tested and Does Not Work |
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To find out more about how these treatment levels are defined, click here.
Therapies and Terms Defined:
- CBT: cognitive behavioral therapy
- Family Therapy-behavior, also called family-based treatment (FBT) and Maudsley family therapy
Source(s): Lock, J. (2015). An update on evidence-based psychological treatments for eating disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44(5), 707-721. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.971458
| Level One: Works Well |
|
| Level Two: Works |
|
| Level Three: Might Work |
|
| Level Four: Experimental |
|
| Level Five: Tested and Does Not Work |
|
To find out more about how these treatment levels are defined, click here.
Therapies and Terms Defined
- CBT: cognitive behavioral therapy
Source(s): Lock, J. (2015). An update on evidence-based psychological treatments for eating disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44(5), 707-721. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.971458
Lock, J., & La Via, M. (2015). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5), 412-425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2015.01.018
