Five-year-olds suffering from eating disorders

CHILDREN as young as five are falling victim to eating disorders, according to alarming new findings.

A combination of poor parenting and the growing influence of the media and social networking sites are blamed by experts as the main reasons for the disturbing rise in the number of pre-teens suffering from disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

The Eating Disorder Resource Centre of Ireland says cases of children as young as seven and eight suffering full-blown anorexia, meaning they reduce their food intake to the point where they become starved, have come to its attention.