Before going on a strict diet and exercise, young girl NTH (17 years old) was 1m60 tall and weighed 62kg. When her friends criticized her for her unbalanced and fat body, she threw herself into exercise and dieting.
In just a short time, the girl lost nearly 10kg. However, she still thought she was not beautiful, so she continued to diet and exercise intensely, making her body increasingly thin and her health exhausted. At the same time, the patient also lost her period for three months.
A month before being hospitalized, H. weighed only 45kg. In the afternoon after school, H. fainted at home. When he was taken to Bach Mai Hospital, the doctor recorded a pulse of only 48 beats/minute, low blood pressure of 80/50mmHg, and a BMI of 16.4 - an alarming index.
The above patient's case was shared by doctors on the afternoon of October 13, in the topic of eating disorders in adolescents.
Doctor shares about eating disorders in adolescents (Photo: The Anh).
Dr. Ngo Tuan Khiem - Department of Emotional Disorders and Eating Disorders, Institute of Mental Health said that the girl was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, a dangerous eating disorder, and had to be hospitalized for inpatient treatment, combined with psychological therapy and nutritional guidance.
After nearly 3 weeks of treatment, H. started eating better, gradually reduced excessive exercise, gained weight, and stabilized his health.
One month after being discharged from the hospital, H. had her period again and was no longer afraid of gaining weight like before.
In contrast to the "obsession with gaining weight" that leads to anorexia, there are people with eating disorders that manifest in the opposite direction: binge eating and loss of control.
Doctors shared the case of patient LTL (18 years old). The patient experienced intense cravings, could eat large amounts of french fries, instant noodles, pizza, donuts in just a few hours.
In particular, the uncontrollable cravings only appear 2-3 times a week. After each binge, the patient feels guilty, ashamed, blames himself, then gags and uses laxatives to "correct the mistake".
At the Institute of Mental Health, the patient was diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa.
After 15 days of treatment, L.'s condition improved significantly. She no longer had binge eating episodes, no more vomiting, and had a more positive perception of her body. After 1 month, she lost 6kg and started eating healthily again.
Dr. Pham Thi Nguyet Nga - Institute of Mental Health said that eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, not "hobbies" or "living habits". People with the disease are often obsessed with weight, body shape and eating.
Statistics show that the rate of eating disorders in children and adolescents ranges from 1.2% in males and 5.7% in females, with an increasing trend in recent years.
There are many risk factors for this disorder such as body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, academic pressure, bullying or body shaming.
Children are also easily pressured when exposed to ideal body images, dieting... shared a lot on social networks.
"Sudden changes in eating habits or excessive exercise are both dangerous signals. During puberty, symptoms of the disease can be confused with normal physiological changes, causing delayed detection," the doctor warned.
Eating disorders are completely treatable if detected early and intervened properly. Schools and communities play a key role in identifying and supporting children. Instead of criticizing, we need to listen, accompany, help children build a healthy body image and develop a sense of security about themselves.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/mac-cam-loi-che-khong-can-doi-co-gai-an-kieng-tap-the-duc-den-nhap-vien-20251014074958923.htm
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