“Initially, there’s a lot of excitement for kids at being able to meet the goals they set,” notes Dr. Shure. Later, however, they realize that even if they want to eat more or exercise less, they can no longer control their behavior. “In the first months it is much easier to help somebody out of it. After a year, the system is patterned, making it much more difficult—and leading to years of treatment.”
What should you do as a concerned parent? If you notice even one thing that seems off, listen to your gut. And if your child’s friend, her friend’s parent, her coach or her school nurse comes to you with things they’ve noticed, hear them out, urges Dr. Mitan: Your child’s life could depend on it.
Rachel Silver’s did. She’s now a thriving twenty-one-year-old junior at the University of Miami. “She is happy, healthy, engaged, and has a good attitude toward food and exercise. She wants to move on with her life,” her mother says. “We credit Rachel’s recovery to her will not to be a sufferer for her entire life—and especially to early diagnosis and treatment.”
By: Danielle Schlass Saliman
Related Story: Ask Common Sense: Weighing Mixed Messages
PREVIOUS PAGE
