Obsessing over fat consumption can cause real problems for teen-agers. If fat intake is the concern, fruits and vegetables can be eaten as a means of moderating fat intake while maintaining a nutritious diet. Other warning signs for anorexia include 20 to 25 percent weight loss, denial of hunger, excessive exercising, frequent weighing, skipped menstrual periods and loss of hair or growth of fine body hair. Bulimics, unlike anorexics, are harder to recognize because they are usually of normal weight or slightly overweight. Bulimics may eat large meals and then purge the food from their system with laxatives or vomiting.
Recurrent vomiting can cause permanent loss of tooth enamel and can lead to esophagitis.
There also can be an impact on the cardiac system. In bulimia, eating binges and induced vomiting or purging may occur as often as several times a day until interrupted by sleep, abdominal pain or the presence of another person. Youngsters are usually aware of their abnormal eating patterns and may experience fear or guilt associated with the binge-purge episodes. Binging and purging often occur when the bulimic is stressed, depressed, frustrated or angry. Other warning signs include menstrual irregularities, frequent and significant weight fluctuations and strict dieting followed by binge eating.