It’s not because she’s a “typical teen”

I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to why parents misinterpret the signs of eating disorders in their children, especially when it comes to their girls.  I think part of the problem could be this pervasive notion that if a teen is “moody” or “withdrawn”, it’s normal.

I know my parents told me (after I was in my 20s) that they saw nothing wrong with the fact that I wouldn’t eat in front of them and always hung out in my room.  They chalked it up to “normal” teen angst.  And thus they ignored the symptoms of anorexia.

I wonder how many other families have gone this route?  Since I’m not the parent of a teenager, I don’t know how easy it is to fall into the trap.  But I would imagine that if you complained about your 14-year-old daughter not wanting to eat, another mother or father could easily scoff, “Oh, they ALL do that!  You just have to ride it out.”

Seems logical, if not a good way to solve the underlying problem.