Eating disorders can have several causes: food that is unappealing and of poor quality, the child’s inability to adjust to the taste of new food, poor presentation of food, etc.. In case the situation remains unchanged even when these problems are solved, it is best to go see a doctor as only he or she will be able to investigate the causes of the pathology, which can be of organic or metabolic origin.
An eating disorder involves either a lack of appetite or an excessive appetite. A child with eating disorders that eats very little has an uneven weight curve. When the child’s weight curve is not smooth but contains a break it is necessary to seek medical attention. This break represents an anomaly of biological origin or a specific event in the child’s life. It is a disorder and will require the help of a doctor in order to determine its cause.
Eating disorders may stem from other disorders such as chronic ENT infections, diabetes or digestive problems.
They may also manifest themselves through an excessive consumption of food: the child eats excessively and is often hungry. This hunger is more intense when the affected person is anxious. He or she then engages in binge eating, chowing down on large amounts of food.
It is especially once a child is older than one that he or she may be subject to eating disorders. Indeed, at this stage the child becomes more selective and his or her food intake decreases significantly. The disorder then manifests itself through slower weight gain. We also notice that the child gradually loses its plumpness since it spends more energy by becoming increasingly active.
A child with an appetite disorder is weak, easily fatigued and has bright eyes. Its growth is slow and its feet sweat permanently. Furthermore, the child may present symptoms of a dietary deficiency such as extreme thinness accompanied by an oversized belly and a large head. In some cases, the child is prone to chronic constipation and digestive difficulties.
Eating disorders can lead to malnutrition, which is the result of dietary imbalance and is caused by a deficiency of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and vitamins. Malnutrition has an impact on the vital functions and increases the risk of contracting serious diseases.
Finally, binge eating can cause a person to become significantly overweight, even a child. In this case, the subject may sufer from obesity.
In general, to treat appetite disorders with the help of homoeopathy, high-dilution remedies ranging from 9 to 15 CH-dilution are administered weekly and the prescribed treatment is based on the affected person’s symptoms. If the child suffers from digestive problems that are accompanied by constipation and decreased appetite, in addition to which he or she is prone to anorexia and has strong cravings for chocolate, sugar and starches, know that these disorders may be treated with Lycopodium.
As for Silicea, it is the most suitable remedy in case the child is scrawny, gets tired very quickly, has an extremely slow growth and a very thin body. This remedy will alleviate these disorders by progressively restoring the patient’s appetite. Sometimes the child doesn’t have a lack of appetite but prefers salty foods. Sometimes, the upper body may lose weight, the patient is often constipated and its stools are dehydrated. In both of these cases, Natrum muriaticum is prescribed to restore a proper metabolic balance.
The use of Iodum is recommended in case appetite disorders that manifest themselves through bulimia, or if the child is lean but hyperactive, or if he or she is constantly anxious, a condition that is worsened by hunger and inactivity. Sometimes the child is gluttonous and loves salty and smoked foods at the expense of salads and green vegetables, although he or she can also be anorexic. In this case, administer Calcarea phosphorica.
Good to know: Binge eating may be alleviated by taking a dose of Antimonium crudum 9 CH every Sunday. Moreover, it is possible to relieve nervous hunger, resulting from anxiety, by taking 5 granules of Ignatia 7 CH three times a day.
