Parent guide to how childhood trauma causes emotional eating
Emotional eating is a way to define a disordered way of eating, and it’s strongly associated with childhood trauma. That’s what led Brittany to call me about her daughter Candice. “I’m worried that she’s emotional eating,” Brittany said. “Candice has always been anxious, and she’s experienced some serious social and…
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What can parents really do to help kids with ARFID?
Avoidant Restrictive Feeding Intake Disorder, called ARFID, is a type of eating disorder that’s characterized by many of the same symptoms as anorexia, but it differs in that the reason for food restriction is not driven by a desire for weight loss. People with ARFID are unable to meet their…
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How to set boundaries with grandparents about weight and eating habits
Setting boundaries with grandparents who make negative or inappropriate comments about weight and eating habits can be a challenging task. However, it is essential to handle these situations assertively, as they can have a lasting impact on our children’s body image and relationship with food. Katie’s story Katie’s mother-in-law frequently…
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Empowering your highly sensitive child with an eating disorder
It’s very common for people who have an eating disorder to identify as a highly sensitive person (HSP). While it may sound like a made-up term, this is actually a scientifically studied genetic condition. One of the notable traits is that HSPs are often more sensitive to food and eating.…
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Please don’t say that eating sugar and sweets causes diabetes
3 real-life stories of women whose parents warned them about diabetes (and what to do instead) “If you eat too many cupcakes, you’ll get diabetes.” “Chocolate milk is like drinking a tall glass of diabetes.” “Eating that much sugar will make you diabetic like Grandma.” Some version of this has…
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How to handle mood swings in eating disorder recovery
Melanie feels worn out. Her teenage daughter Kimmy has an eating disorder, but that’s not even the biggest challenge right now. “What we’re really struggling with,” says Melanie, “are the endless mood swings. She’s up and down constantly, either yelling at me and getting in my face or slamming doors…
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How to protect your child from dangerous weight loss interventions
The risks of 2023 AAP guidelines for weight loss in kids and what parents can do about it Megan reached out to me after a disastrous doctor’s office visit with her eleven-year-old son, Carl. “I’m so upset, I could scream!” she said. “The doctor lectured Carl about his weight even…
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Ultimate guide to a parent’s role in eating disorder recovery
Jeremy reached out to me with a simple but complicated question, “what’s a parent’s role when your child’s in eating disorder recovery?” There are so many ways to answer that question. But ultimately I think most of the advice can be boiled down to two main things: connection and boundaries. …
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How to help your child with an eating disorder stay safe
Nicki reached out to me when her daughter Kiara was scheduled to return from residential treatment for her eating disorder. “My biggest concern is her safety,” said Nicki. “And I mean both physically and emotionally. I’m just so scared that she’ll come home and slip back into the disorder. I…
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How to help a child with an eating disorder develop positive self-talk
Colleen’s daughter has been stepping in and out of eating disorder recovery, and one of the biggest barriers has been self-criticism and negative self-talk. “It’s as if we’re trapped in a cycle,” says Colleen. “We make a little bit of progress in recovery, and then the negative self-talk ramps up…
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5 things you should never do if your child has an eating disorder
Having a child with an eating disorder is not your fault. There are so many reasons kids get eating disorders, and no parent causes an eating disorder to happen. At the same time, there are things parents can do when a child has an eating disorder. Making changes in your own…
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How to talk to your child about their eating disorder
Kylie and her daughter Brooke are locking horns. “I just don’t understand why we can’t have a calm, rational discussion about Brooke’s eating disorder,” says Kylie. “Normally we can talk about anything, but when it comes to the eating disorder, Brooke is so reactive and completely closed off to me.…
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How parents can actually make binge eating disorder better
Cyrus is worried about his son Miles, who was recently diagnosed with binge eating disorder. “I honestly don’t understand what is going on, or what we are supposed to be doing at home to help,” says Cyrus. “We’ve got Miles in therapy, but other than that, we’ve received no guidance…
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Helpful ways parents can improve girls’ body image
“My body image has been terrible my whole life, and now I see the same thing happening with my girls,” says Liz. “I want to improve my daughters’ body image, but it feels impossible sometimes.” Liz isn’t alone. Negative body image is a major issue, particularly for girls. One survey…
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Real world stories of hormones and eating disorders
Elizabeth, Mireia, Lisette, Chelsey, and many others believe there is a link between their hormones and eating disorders. With the chemical changes throughout the menstrual cycle and the weight gain that often accompanies puberty and other hormone-related conditions, there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to body image, disordered…
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How to supercharge eating disorder recovery with embodiment
Embodiment is the sensation of being in your own body and trusting the body’s signals, desires, and demands, and it’s very helpful in eating disorder recovery. An embodied person has a respectful, trusting, and kind relationship with their body. For centuries, Western culture has promoted the separation of mind and…
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A remarkable book about a boy, body image, and disordered eating
Following is an interview with Jarrett Lerner, author of A Work in Progress. This book poignantly illustrates the painful childhood experiences of a boy with negative body image and disordered eating. It shares what it feels like to be singled out and body shamed in elementary school, and how…
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ARFID: expert advice to help parents support recovery
Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder that features highly selective eating patterns. The major risk for kids with ARFID is not getting enough nutrients and becoming weight suppressed, which can interfere with growth and overall health. Getting expert advice when a child has ARFID can help parents…
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A helpful strengths-based approach to eating disorder recovery
Gloria has been in recovery from an eating disorder for years, but she feels hopeless. “It’s just that I have all these personality traits that doom me to a life with this problem,” she says. “I don’t see how I can possibly escape from my eating disorder because I’m such…
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True (and painful) stories of complex trauma and eating disorders
Complex trauma is trauma that happens over a long period of time, often beginning in early childhood, and it’s strongly associated with eating disorders. Traumatic experiences range from physical and verbal abuse to less-obvious but still deeply damaging behavior like criticism, emotional neglect, weight teasing, food insecurity, and food shaming. …
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