What You Need to Know About Eating Disorders
When it comes to losing weight, there are healthy and not-so-healthy ways to do it. The methods that Shaq and his team of experts used on Shaq's Big Challenge — eating reasonable portions of healthy foods and getting more physical activity — are healthy ways. Methods like not eating at all, or vomiting after a meal, are not healthy. If you notice these behaviors in your kids, they may have an eating disorder.

The two most common types of eating disorder are anorexia and bulimia. People with anorexia typically eat very little food, while people with bulimia tend to eat large amounts of food, only to "purge" it later by vomiting or taking laxatives. Anorexia can cause heart, kidney, and liver damage, among many other health problems, and bulimia can lead to nutrient deficiencies, tooth decay, and stomach and kidney damage.

Eating disorders often begin in the teen years, when kids face increased social pressure to make their bodies look a certain way. However, problems can surface as early as age eight. Although more girls than boys are affected, boys are by no means immune. If your child loses a large amount of weight in a short period, often makes excuses to go to the bathroom after eating, or repeatedly denies feeling hungry, talk to your family doctor. Being overweight is no good for your kids' health — but an eating disorder can be even more dangerous.
Learn more about keeping your kids healthy when it comes to their weight.