You have to be perfect. Obsessed with your looks...Adolescent Eating Disorders Threaten Mental Health
Sep 18, 2025
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According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, half of the patients aged 10 to 19 were treated for anorexia, one of the eating disorders, in 2024. By gender, there were 2525 male patients, while there were 11,885 female patients, far more women than men.
Eating disorders are mental health disorders that cause abnormalities in food intake behavior, and should be suspected when your weight is less than 80% of your standard weight or your body mass index (BMI) is less than 17. Typical types of eating disorders include neurotic anorexia and neurotic macrophagia. Neurotic anorexia is a disease that causes a sharp weight loss due to extreme restrictions on food, and neurotic macrophages lead to vomiting, laxatives, and diuretic abuse after repeated binge eating, putting a heavy burden on the body.
Adolescence is a period of psychological instability as well as physical changes, and various factors such as obsession with appearance, stress in peer relationships, and the influence of SNS and media increase the risk of eating disorders. Early detection and management are very important in that eating disorders are not just eating problems but are closely linked to mental health problems such as self-esteem decline, depression, and anxiety.
Professor Kim Soo-jin of the Department of Psychiatry at Korea University Anam Hospital said, `Eating disorders are deeply linked to mental health in adolescence beyond the problem of food intake, which can increase the risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and suicide in severe cases if not treated early"It is important for adolescents themselves to look at their emotions and body changes, and to get help from experts if changes occur.'
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
