Weight loss in children can stem from a variety of reasons and all are unnatural. Unless a child is overweight, weight loss is not supposed to be common or drastic. If a child starts to shed pounds, it can be for any of the following reasons.
Anorexia Nervosa
Children who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa usually have body image problems. Many times, this can be due to peer pressure or obsessive compulsive disorder. Anorexia Nervosa is basically starving the body sometimes to the point of starvation and in many cases can be fatal.
Although Anorexia Nervosa mainly affects adolescent and young adult women, many kids are being faced with this disorder and it is a dangerous one.
Child Abuse
Child abuse is another major cause of weight loss in children and can be for a variety of factors. One problem could be emotional abuse. Children who refuse to eat could be affected by parents or relatives abusing them verbally whether about their weight or other matters and thus the child is forced into depression. They could be abused physically and thus result in loss of apatite.
But the most common reason is lack of food for financial reasons or parents and or relatives intentionally starving the children.
Juvenile Diabetes
Juvenile diabetes is another major cause of weight loss in children as diabetes affects the child’s ability to handle sugars. If the pancreas is not working and medication and chromium are not being taken, children will lose weight because glucose (which all foods are broken down into) will not be used by the body and will in turn send the blood sugar to dangerously high levels.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an unusual disease which causes inflammation of the digestive system as well as affects areas of the anus and mouth and lower parts of the small intestine. Needless to say, if the stomach is inflamed and the mouth and small intestines are compromised as well, food will not be digested properly and can be painful for the child causing them not to as much as they should.
