These are the signs of eating disorders in children - as parents are warned that cases are rising

Parents have been warned to look out for signs of eating disorders in children and teenagers, after instances in the UK increased four-fold compared to last year.

NHS England has said more people will need support, despite record numbers getting care for eating disorders.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is urging parents to look out for signs in young people. They heard from around 40 specialists working in Scotland, England and Wales who said they had all seen a rise in referrals on eating disorders.

What is an eating disorder?

An eating disorder is a form of mental illness, which can happen when somebody has an unhealthy relationship with their food. The person will adopt extreme behaviours as a result of this, which can make them very unwell.

Eating disorders aren’t just limited to someone not eating enough food and losing weight, they can also include someone putting on an unhealthy amount of weight after eating too much.

Not all symptoms of eating disorders are physical, so you may not be able to easily tell when someone is suffering from one.

Types of eating disorders

Generally speaking, common signs of eating disorders will be behavioural and attitude changes with weight loss, dieting and control of food.

There are three main conditions which cover a lot of eating disorder cases that people can spot. These are:

Anorexia nervosa

Often shortened to anorexia, this is when someone will avoid eating and lose a lot of weight very quickly.