An important issue for parents of girls to be aware of is the increase in disordered eating for teenage girls in recent years.

Research indicates that approximately a third of Australian adolescents will engage in disordered eating patterns in any given year. Young people of all backgrounds and cultures experience body image issues. It can be particularly challenging for young people whose body type differs from societal stereotypes.

Studies indicate parents’ awareness of their children’s eating habits is critical for early intervention. Some of the ways that disordered eating can begin to emerge is demonstrated in the following behaviours:

• engaging in ‘clean eating’ – with an obsessive focus on healthy eating, food quality and purity
• not wanting to eat dinner with the family
• eating in secret or lying about their eating (e.g. “I ate earlier”)
• always weighing themselves or looking in the mirror
• comparing themselves to others or frequently asking about appearance
• exercising to the extreme, even if injured or sick
• obsession with counting calories
• following rules about how to eat (e.g. eating food in a certain order, no food after 6:00pm, cutting food into small pieces)
• preoccupation with food, cooking shows and collecting recipes
• frequently dieting, and
• binge eating.

The Butterfly Foundation provides a range of resources and seminars which assist families in promoting positive body image and a healthy relationship with food.

If you are concerned about your daughter’s self-concept around body image, you can reach out to her Year Coordinator or our Senior School counselling team which will be able to provide you with some resources and support.