The Latest Eating Disorder Affecting Teens

Spring has…sprung? Mother nature is really playing it fast and loose with this “April Showers Bring May Flowers” business. But we’re taking it in stride (and in the sand 🏖️)! 

The Latest Eating Disorder Affecting Teens

Parents, listen up. While we’re all aware of the more common eating disorders that disproportionately impact teens, there’s a new type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder that our kids are susceptible to–it’s called bigorexia. This eating disorder is shaped by an intense desire to get bigger/more muscular. In theory, it’s not a bad thing if your teen wants to get a little stronger. But it’s important we distinguish the difference between that and bigorexia, which can lead to unhealthy habits like overly strict diets, compulsive workout schedules and taking risky and non-regulated supplements. 

A person struggling from bigorexia is often obsessed with the idea that they are too small or not strong enough, even if they’re in good shape. Director of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders PhD Nancy Zucker explains, “Their concern causes such distress that they engage in a lot of compulsive checking behaviors and rituals to try to change how they look. It’s to such a degree that it impairs their functioning. It’s an all-consuming fixation.” That’s very scary and is made worse by the influence of social media. If you feel like your child is exhibiting signs of bigorexia, here are some tips on how to delicately handle the situation:

• Keep an open dialogue. This goes for basically everything in life, but make sure your kids know that there is no topic of discussion that’s off the table. 

• Encourage a healthy balance and limit social media. Moderation is key with everything–exercise, food, screen time, etc. 

• Validate their feelings - Allow them to voice their insecurities and concerns and assure them that their worth is not determined by the size of their body. 

The Big Thing Missing From Anti-Bullying Rhetoric

TikTok might be a timesuck. But it’s also a place where, every once in a while, people make some really brilliant observations, like this one about bullying by TikTok creator @rachel.the.editor. She makes the incredibly astute point: “Have we ever considered the fact that anti-bullying messaging for kids is often centered around the victim and some anonymous evil bully and never teaching kids to recognize when they are being the bully?” 🤯This is so true. The current framing of anti-bullying education is centered around the victim of bullying, which makes sense! But it leaves out that not all kids are the victims. The bully is also a kid, someone’s daughter or son. So it’s important we add that nuance to the conversation.

Being a bully does not have to be a life sentence. If a teen is exhibiting this behavior, it often comes from a place of insecurity or desire for control. Most kids who engage in bullying need help understanding and regulating their emotions. Instead of simply painting the bully as the boogeyman and calling it a day, it’s time we dig a little deeper. 

Meta Announces Launch of Teen Facebook Accounts

This feels like a win. While social media will always be something to be concerned about when it comes to our teens, a big company like Meta at least attempting to make some restrictions is encouraging. As of yesterday, all teens with Facebook and Messenger accounts will automatically be placed under the “Teen Account” experience. What does that mean? Here are the quick bullet points:

• All teen accounts will automatically be made private 

• Their messaging capabilities will be more limited

• There will be restrictions on sensitive/age inappropriate content

• Teen Accounts will be automatically enrolled in sleep mode at night and will have screen time reminders to log off Facebook after 60 minutes per day. 

Will these restrictions solve all of the problems social media has caused? Of course not. But it’s a step in the right direction. We’ll take it! 

College is around the corner for some of our teens! It’s really exciting! But it can also be incredibly daunting. 

• FOR THE TEENS: This young TikToker put together a list of things she wished she knew before going to college, it’s comprehensive and very insightful! 

• FOR THE PARENTS (and probably the teens too): This is a little more humdrum than the TikTok, but still very informative! Here’s a list of what parents should know when starting the college admissions process.