Is Obesity an “Eating Disorder” the Same as Anorexia?

Question by Kari: Is Obesity An “Eating Disorder” The Same As Anorexia?
I have a son and a daughter that are on two ends of the spectrum as far a weight.
My son is 12 and overweight for his size.
And we all know at that age especially, it’s a social problem as well as a health one.
My daughter is a year younger and is slim and a little under her idea weight.
I know she’s not anorexic. She doesn’t have to work to stay thin.
Both kids eat all the time. One is just effected by it.
I try to help my son, but I can’t watch them every second.
And I’d like to see my girl add at least 5 if not 10 lbs. but her metabolism is high.
Does anyone deal with these kind of issues and have you any constructive suggestions that worked for you?

Best answer:

Answer by firecracker
if your son is anything like mine, he would love to just sit in front of the Xbox 360 all day….even though kids have different metabolisms, he prob needs to exercize more than your daughter…i make my son go outside and play, that helps some..good luck!

Answer by Anonymous 🙂
Even though you can’t watch your son at all times, monitor his TV usage and get him outside. Maybe he can join a school sport to lose some pounds. Oh, and if he has the right gaming systems, you could get him a Wii…video games and exercise all in one!

Take them to the grocery store with you so they are involved with the “healthy eating” process. They’ll be able to see what they need to eat to live a healthy lifestyle, and they may fight it at first, but they’ll eventually start eating right.

Maybe you could take family walks after dinner. Walking is one of the best ways to lose unwanted weight.

Kids learn from example, and although you can’t be with them 24/7, they’ll learn the healthy lifestyle from you 🙂 good luck!

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Professor Janet Treasure from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust explains what it means to have an eating disorder.