by April Boettcher

Created on: October 22, 2009

When you think of teen eating disorders, most will think about their young daughters trying to fit a mold society has pressed down on them. The tall, underweight models that grace the covers of magazines and TV ads. But what about the young sons that are just as assessable to the same mold. Have you looked at the men on the covers of them same magazines and in the TV ads or all the popular athletes that are plastered on billboards all over the country showing off their six pack abs and ripped muscles.

Young men usually slip between the cracks when it comes to eating disorders and body images. the problem is so huge that in the March/April issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, published by the American College of Sports Medicine, Ball State Universitynutritionist Katherine A. Beals, PhD, RD, says "Millions of boys and men today harbor a secret obsession about their looks and are endangering their health by engaging in excessive exercise, bingeing and purging rituals, steroid abuse, and overuse of nutritional and dietary [products]." So do you suspect that your son has an eating disorder and you are wondering how you are going to help and cope? Here are a few suggestions that can help you.

1) Control. You may want to take control of the situation but you must remember one important thing. It is their body. You can not stand vigil over your child to make sure he is taking care of himself. You must let him take control. You must be there to help them along the way and to lean on you when they are not strong, but the ultimate control is in their hands to get better. You can not force anyone with an eating disorder to get help. First they must want to take control.

2) Educate. You must educate your self to the dangers an eating disorder can cause on their body as well as their self esteem. Educate yourself on the signs of an eating disorder. Read books from parents who have gone through what you are going through . Read books from people that have been in your child's shoes. These books are going to help you understand the mindset that your child is in and what other parents have done. They will also answer questions that you may have but are too embarrassed to ask. Educating yourself will help educate your child.

3)Support. Many parents forget this important factor. You forget about yourselves when dealing with your child's disorder. If you can not support yourself, you can not fully be there to support your child. Many hospitals and clinics offer support

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