Bulimia nervosa prevention measures

The eating disorders they are increasingly common among young people between 12 and 24 years of age, especially among women. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by the fact that the person who suffers from it has no control over food intake, eats large amounts of food in a short period of time and then often causes vomiting or uses laxatives to control and lose weight bodily. There is great dissatisfaction with self-image and extreme concern for figure and body weight.

Due to the fact that people who are in the adolescent stage are much more vulnerable to this type of disorders, the prevention of their appearance is very important. from the family and the school environment, because by adopting a series of simple measures it is possible, on many occasions, to avoid suffering from bulimia nervosa from the childhood. In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to show in detail what these should be bulimia nervosa prevention measures.

Index

1. Symptoms of bulimia nervosa
2. Prevention of bulimia in adolescents
3. How to prevent bulimia from the family environment
4. How to prevent bulimia in adolescents from the classroom

Before seeing what are the prevention measures for bulimia nervosa, it is important that we are clear about the alarm signals that can tell us that someone close to us may have this eating disorder:

• You are overly concerned about your physical image or body weight.
• Sudden and sudden changes in body weight.
• Binge eating, eating too fast and a large amount of food in a very short period of time.
• Provocation of vomiting after eating. It can be detected if the person goes to the bathroom a lot after eating, if they present alterations in the tooth enamel, injuries in the hands, symptoms of dehydration, throat irritation, etc.
• He usually avoids eating with people, especially at celebrations and tends to eat alone.
• Do not accept high-calorie foods or reject fatty, fried, or sauced foods.
• Count the calories you are going to eat at each meal.
• Use laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after meals.
• He is out of control, has constant and sudden mood swings.
• Depressive symptoms
• She is fatigued, weak, and very tired.
• Has a low selfsteem.
• You exercise vigorously, especially after meals to burn calories and lose weight.
• Your menstruation is irregular.

Eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa are seen much more frequently in adolescence, especially in adolescents. women young of between 12 and 24 years old. Their early detection and initiation of the appropriate psychological and medical treatment is essential to be able to combat and overcome them successfully.

Several studies have been carried out in which the importance of adopting a series of measures of prevention from childhood and adolescence to avoid, as far as possible, the suffering of bulimia nervous. According to specialists, said bulimia nervosa prevention measures should be approached from within the family, school and social, since this in a large majority of cases can make a difference and avoid their appearance.

• In the family environment: the role of parents from childhood is of vital importance, since it is very important that a good education is provided eating from a young age, maintaining good eating habits as a family, promoting self-esteem and autonomy in children and establish a good family environment in which children have complete confidence to talk to their parents about any topic that affects them worry.
• In the school environment: It is also very important that teachers are a useful source of information for parents and students. This can be done through informative talks and conferences, giving from childhood the appropriate techniques to develop skills personal and social, promote healthy lifestyle habits, appropriate and responsible behaviors, as well as a good relationship with others students. Both teachers and classmates can be a key element in the detection of bulimia nervosa.

Let us now see what measures can be taken from the family environment to try to prevent bulimia nervosa in children. In this case, prevention consists mainly of maintaining a good family relationship from childhood and promoting an environment that encourages dialogue between parents and children:

• Teach children from an early age the importance of wearing a pair of good eating habits: follow a balanced and healthy diet (prevalence of vegetables and fruits and limitation of sweet, fried, fatty foods, fast food. etc.), establish fixed times to eat, distribute food into five meals a day in appropriate portions, avoid skipping meals and not snacking between meals.
• The simple fact of share the time of meals with the family it favors a good family atmosphere in which dialogue and conversation between the different members of the family takes place.
• Encourage children to perform physical exercise from a young age and convey the importance of this habit to your health and fitness.
• Promote self-esteem of the children so that, as they grow up, they will be a self-confident person and have the ability to accept their physical image.
• Promote autonomy of children from a young age so that, in this way, they have their own opinions and are not affected excessively by what others say about them or the messages about aesthetics and beauty canons that you receive through the media and advertising.
• Explain to them when necessary the reality and myths about these messages about the physical image and instill in them that Health is the most important of everything. In this way, we will avoid getting a "perfect image" from being one of your biggest concerns or goals.
• Promote social relationships from childhood and encourage him to do extracurricular activities.
• To procure not propose to achieve unattainable objectives or goals in the academic, sports or aesthetic fields. The mental capacity and physical constitution of the child must always be taken into account, since otherwise, his self-esteem could be greatly affected.
• In the event that children or adolescents have to lose weight, it is very important that they do so under medical supervision very strict.

Although on many occasions, parents, siblings or direct relatives may feel that they are intruding on the private life of their family member, it is very important that At the slightest suspicion that you may be suffering from an eating disorder, observe it closely and take into account all the signs that we have mentioned in the section 1. Only then can the affected person be helped and the appropriate medical treatment initiated.

As we have commented previously, the other important area from which to act to prevent bulimia nervosa is the academic. Teachers are adults who live with students on a daily basis and can easily contemplate any significant physical or psychological change that leads them to suspect that the person is suffering from an feeding. In addition to this, they are the right people to inform both parents and students about this type of disorder or They can organize conferences conducted by professionals that make known their consequences or how to act in these cases.

In this sense, from the classroom, the bulimia nervosa prevention measures that can be adopted are the following:

• Reject and disprove the misconceptions that a healthy body is excessively thin. The importance of accepting one's own body should be emphasized and the appropriate knowledge and guidelines provided for it.
• Facilitate the development of values ​​and interests that are different from those related to physical image and aesthetics.
• Encourage the development of a critical attitude towards social stereotypes and all advertising ideas or images that promote weight loss as the "perfect physical image".
• Help students care about leading a healthy life and having good eating habits both at home and at school.
• Development of personal and social skills.
• Guidance in managing emotions and promoting the ability to cope with difficulties or problems that arise in the family or school environment.

All these measures should be part of the educational program in the different schools, always taking into account that the contents and teaching are adapted to the ages of the students to whom they go directed.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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