Parenting in the Age of Eating Disorders

Understanding Eating Disorders and How Parents Can Help

Eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are serious psychiatric illnesses that share similarities with anxiety and depression. Individuals affected by these disorders often use food in unhealthy ways to cope with challenging emotions and life situations.

Unfortunately, eating disorders have become an epidemic in our society. It is estimated that around 11 million women and girls are struggling with anorexia and bulimia, with the average age of onset being 14. Alarmingly, girls as young as 8 can develop eating disorders. Young men and boys are also affected.

How Can Parents Help Prevent Eating Disorders?

Identifying a single trigger for an eating disorder can be challenging, as they typically arise from a combination of factors such as genetics, peer pressure, trauma, media influence, and life transitions.

Young people may exhibit various warning signs, particularly an obsession with their appearance. Both boys and girls may become excessively preoccupied with food, counting calories, carbohydrates, and fat grams meticulously.

While external influences play a significant role in your child’s development, you can help prevent eating disorders through your actions. Avoid using food as a form of reward or punishment, which is common in our culture. For instance, rewarding kids with ice cream or penalizing them by limiting their meals can distort their understanding of food as solely nourishment.

It's critical for mothers, in particular, to be aware of how their attitudes and behaviors around food and body image can influence their daughters. A mother who is fixated on being "skinny" or dieting will likely instill those same concerns in her daughter.

How Can Parents Help in Eating Disorder Treatment?

Parents play a crucial role in eating disorder recovery for adolescents and young adults. Research shows that family involvement in treatment leads to better outcomes for recovery. Family-based treatment (FBT) and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) are two of the most effective treatment approaches used for families treating eating disorders. In these therapies, families are taught to help re-feed their child with the help of a dietitian and therapist, as well as provide compassionate emotional support for recovery.

Colleen is highly trained in both FBT and EFFT, and can make a difference in your child’s treatment. Contact me today to set up a consultation for parent coaching and individual therapy.