Early Signs and How to Help:

Early Signs:

• Changes in eating patterns: This could look like a new obsession over certain foods, avoiding some foods, and skipping meals.

• Compulsive Exercising: Those with an eating disorder can develop unhealthy and compulsive exercise habits.

• Physical and behavioral changes: Behavioral changes can include depression, sudden withdrawal from family or friends, anxiety, and irritability. Physical changes can include, fainting spells, low blood pressure, brittle hair and nails, feeling cold all the time due to a drop in their internal temperature, and overall fatigue.

• Unhealthy focus on body image: Those with an eating disorder may spend a large amount of time looking at and making negative comments about their bodies. They often have a distorted image of themselves despite reassurances from friends and family and will often conceal their body with baggy clothes.

How to Help:

• Have a conversation: before you start a heavy conversation, its important to have the right information about each type of disorder. Set a safe time and place for them and make them feel comfortable. Let them know you want to have an important conversation, so they do not feel attacked or blindsided. The most important, is to listen. Try not to ask open ended questions and let them take control of the conversation. Always remind them they are not alone in this.

• Be a good example by eating healthy foods and balanced meals. Tune into how you talk about foods and your body image.

• Eat together as a family: Cooking together and eating together is another way of making food a fun experience.

• Focus on other positive traits instead of appearance: Praise them for their success in school, their talents, etc. Giving people a value other than their looks sends a strong message.