Juvenile Diabetes and Eating Disorders in the Pediatric Patient

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope

Many different factors influence the development of eating disorders in children, including genetics, neurobiology, psychosocial factors, environmental influences and more. While there is no one factor that can be pinpointed as the cause of eating disorders, understanding the role of chronic diseases in children is helpful in understanding potential situations that can increase susceptibility to an eating disorder.

Juvenile Diabetes in the Pediatric Patient

Juvenile Diabetes, also known as Type 1 Diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas called beta cells, which are responsible for making insulin. Insulin the hormone needed to move glucose into the body’s cells for fuel and energy, and without insulin, many adverse physical complications can result.

This condition is often termed “Juvenile Diabetes” because it is usually diagnosed in childhood, though the disease can occur at any age.

The most effective methods for treating and managing Juvenile Diabetes includes injecting with insulin to control blood sugar and keeping blood sugar levels with a normal range to prevent harmful medical consequences.

Other aspects of treatment include monitoring food intake and activity to determine how food affects blood sugar. For children who have juvenile diabetes, the strict regulation of food intake can be triggering, particularly to a child who has other factors that make them susceptible to having an eating disorder.

Recognizing Eating Disorder Symptoms

Hyper-focusing on eating certain foods, avoiding other foods, counting numbers, calories, and carbohydrate servings, checking weight and blood sugar can be challenging for a child to manage, especially one who is predisposed to having an eating disorder.

If you are concerned about a child in your life who has Juvenile Diabetes, be aware of any symptoms that may demonstrate the development of an eating disorder, such as drastic weight changes, abnormal changes in eating habits, fear of food and weight gain, and more.

Managing Juvenile Diabetes along with the assistance of professionals can be helpful in keeping a child healthy. Involving a specialist who is familiar with both diabetes and eating disorders can also be helpful in providing comprehensive care for a child who may be struggling with eating disorder behaviors.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What do you think are some of the challenges children face who have juvenile diabetes?

---

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

---

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on February 17, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com