It takes motivation, discipline, and determination to restrict food intake, so teens develop strict rules, and often the rewards are external (for example, praise from others). If you break a rule that you have set for yourself, you feel weak and you don't like failure ... they may even think they are greedy.
Greed, indulgence, and selfishness are bad words in Western society and can lead to guilt. Once the rules are broken teens at risk tend to get off the rails and overeat forbidden foods.
This can lead to compulsive eating rituals and obesity. According to Maslow's pyramid, people must meet basic needs such as eating, sleeping, water, health, and safety before they can strive for self-esteem and self-actualization.
Dieters are depriving themselves of these needs in an attempt at self-realization. They compromise their health, their relationships, and their goals and aspirations as they worry about food, exercise, and weight, becoming prisoners of their own habits. They end up alone, exhausted and feeling like a failure, and they hate their bodies no matter what size they are, as perfection is unattainable. This is where depression, self-harm, and suicide become possibilities among teens.
Watch out for these warning signs
- Fluctuating weight gain or loss (bulimia, anorexia)
- Lots of exercise
- Avoid social situations
- Rigid all-or-nothing thinking
- Isolation
- Spending too much time on social media
- Make excuses not to eat
- Food requirements
- Be defensive when offered help
- Wear clothing that "disguises"
- Symptoms of depression, anxiety, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
If you think that your child does not accept his / her body, it is necessary to seek professional help so that his / her thoughts do not become obsessive.