Are your kids "immune" to developing an eating disorder? Don’t be so sure. Our society is narcissistically obsessed with physical perfection, declaring war on fat and the slightest physical flaws. Our kids are the group that's typically most vulnerable to the message.

A parents, we need to create an environment in which our teens can see their value beyond the reflection

Anorexia and bulimia are not about food.

in the mirror. Parents do well, instead of reinforcing the false messages of this culture, to act as buffers against the subtle pull of television, movies, music, magazines and advertisements on impressionable minds.

It’s also important for parents to teach their teens the skill of independent, critical thinking so they can resist the false messages themselves.

Lets face it, though, the media is only part of the problem. Anorexia and bulimia are not about food. They are about the pain, disappointment and woundedness of life. An eating disorder is much more than a physical malady. It’s an unhealthy way of using food to cope with psychological stress.

Although families cannot cause or cure an eating disorder, family systems can be a contributing factor in the development of the disease and in the recovery process, and understanding the mind-body-spirit connection is vital to helping a teenager who is battling an eating disorder.

Unless all three areas are addressed, eating disorders cannot be successfully treated. On the other hand, physical symptoms are usually the tip-off that a teen is suffering from an eating disorder. And physical effects are what bring on acute health risks. It’s important to know the basics.

Know the symptoms and risk factors. Pay attention to your kids, and if warning signs are present, take action. If your teen is not showing symptoms but is at risk, concentrate on prevention.

—From Focus on the Family's Youth Culture department.

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