Psychiatrist: Cult of Thinness Threatens Children's Health as Eating Disorders Are Diagnosed in Primary School Pupils

Specialists at a children's hospital have noticed that increasingly younger patients are being treated for eating disorders. A psychiatrist who discussed the trend says the cult of thinness endangers children's health. The diagnosis is sometimes made in children of primary school age, and the first signs can appear even earlier, in the early primary school years.

Warning signs

Eating disorders are serious health conditions, and several signs may point to them. Specialists name a desire to change one's appearance, strict dietary restrictions and a fear of gaining weight as possible warning signs. If a child shows such behaviour, it may indicate a problem that needs professional attention.

What shapes children's body image

Specialists note that children's ideas about their own bodies are influenced both by social media and by artificial intelligence tools. Appearance is therefore shaped not only by the surrounding environment but also by the digital tools children use every day.

In the psychiatrist's view, the cult of thinness, meaning an excessive emphasis on being thin as an ideal, creates risks for children's health. The fact that diagnoses are being made in ever younger children indicates that the problem affects primary school pupils, not only teenagers.