While obesity is highly prevalent among teens in the UAE, this group faces potentially irreversible health complications due to eating disorders.
According to Dr. Veena Luthra, a consultant psychiatrist at the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the most common eating disorders that is threatening teens in the country are Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. Binge eating disorders which almost always result to obesity and its complications is also prevalent among UAE teens.
The onset of the disorders varies as anorexia sets in during the adolescent stage of young women and bulimia towards adulthood. Binge eating disorders are found in both men and women and in a wide expanse of age range.
Luthra said that the underlying causes of these eating disorders consist of many factors. Biological, familial, social and cultural factors, however, play the most parts in the development of the disorders. In addition to this, Luthra said that the risk of developing eating disorders is 10 times higher in first-degree relatives due to the role of the biological and familial factors.
The development of anorexia nervosa in teens is often linked to the preoccupation of the need to shed weight through a diet where food intake is strictly controlled by the teen. When unattended by a parent or a professional this strict dieting can spiral to anorexia nervosa.
Among the most threatening complications of the mentioned eating disorders include delayed or arrested puberty, osteoporosis and the development of other bone diseases resulting in fracture risks and overall stunted growth.
Mental health issues such as suicidal tendencies, anxiety and depression are also found in individuals who have or who once had any of the mentioned eating disorders. Low self-esteem is another strongly linked issue among teens and even among adults who are suffering such disorders since there is a direct link between the disorder and on how the individual perceives their self image.
