One Sussex teen a week needs eating disorder treatment (From The Argus)
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One Sussex teen a week needs eating disorder treatment
10:23am Sunday 20th May 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter
Almost one teenager a week in Sussex is being referred for treatment for an eating disorder.
Figures show children as young as 11 and 12 are needing specialist care and support to get their anorexia or bulimia under control.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust cared for 50 under 18-year-olds between April 2011 and March this year.
Eight of these needed to be admitted to a specialist inpatient unit while others were given the help they needed in their own homes.
Three of these were aged between 11 and 14 and the rest between 15 and 17. The actual number of young people with problems is probably higher as they are based on the most serious cases that are referred to the trust.
Consultant nurse specialist Sue Kelly said there were several reasons why people being admitted for treatment were younger than they were a decade ago.
She said: “Children are more worried about their appearance from a much younger age than they used to.
“They are also exposed to various images in the media and on TV which can reinforce negative messages.
“On some popular TV shows, it’s the slim, nice looking people who are successful while the overweight seem to have more problems.”
* For the full story read The Argus this weekend.
Comments(5)
The Real Phil
says...
5:31pm Sun 20 May 12
Angryoldman
says...
6:49pm Sun 20 May 12
mimseycal
says...
6:07am Mon 21 May 12
A normal, healthy, emotionally stable and well balanced child will not intentionally starve itself. Nor will the primary focus of a normal, healthy, emotionally stable and well balanced child be its outward image.
Further bearing in mind that the article explicitly states that one teen a week is just the most serious cases that are referred to the trust, the difficulty of getting referrals, timely intervention, not to mention initial diagnosis, I would say that the trend is worrying.
mimseycal
says...
6:07am Mon 21 May 12
A normal, healthy, emotionally stable and well balanced child will not intentionally starve itself. Nor will the primary focus of a normal, healthy, emotionally stable and well balanced child be its outward image.
Further bearing in mind that the article explicitly states that one teen a week is just the most serious cases that are referred to the trust, the difficulty of getting referrals, timely intervention, not to mention initial diagnosis, I would say that the trend is worrying.
Goldenwight says...
10:36am Sun 20 May 12
Whilst I am not denying that this is a serious problem for those afflicted, as a percentage of population how does this look?