A concerned parent recently wrote in to an online food magazine for advice about her teenage daughter. The daughter seems to have gotten overly concerned about the food she's eating and watches her food intake "very closely," the mother reported. Mom doesn't know what to do, and is looking for some help.

"The first thing you should do is sit down and talk with your daughter. In any intervention regarding an eating disorder, it's important to communicate with the individual you're concerned about... It's important for anyone intervening to remember that these are often delicate situations, and simply sitting down with the individual and expressing concerns and asking questions in a non-judgmental manner is a critical step forward."

The first conversation is important, but follow-up conversations are just as important. Make it known that you will help the person find a counselor or recovery program that will help them overcome their disorder. Source: Culinate.com

Labels: communication, parents, prevention

Preschool children can learn to eat healthy foods, especially if their parents become good role models for eating correctly, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

Professor Debra Haire-Joshu divided parents and preschoolers into two groups. In the first group, children learned songs and games that promoted healthy eating. The second group received educational materials aimed at parents.

Parents in the second group changed their own eating habits to include more fruits and vegetables, which in turn influenced their children to do the same. However, overweight children in the study did not learn to eat in a more healthy way, even if their parents participated.

"Overweight children have already been exposed to salty sweet foods and learned to like them," said Dr. Debra Haire-Joshu, author of the study.

This study appears in Preventive Medicine.

Labels: healthy_eating, influences, parents

Author Marcia Herrin has released the second edition of her Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders. In it, she calls on her experience as an eating disorder survivor, a registered dietician, and a mother to advise and guide other parents whose children are struggling with eating disorders.

"The book focuses on using the Maudsley approach as an essential resource and on what parents may be able to do at home, with or without the use of a Maudsley-trained professional, to treat their child who has eating issues or an eating disorder."

The book includes step-by-step instructions for the Maudsley approach, a relatively new treatment that centers around family therapy and greater involvement by the parents in their child's treatment and recovery. Source: NursingCenter.com

Labels: parents, support, treatment

A study out of Stockholm, Sweden, has found that new moms with histories of eating disorders had a much harder time adjusting to motherhood than did those with no history of eating disorders.

"Women with eating disorders were more likely to worry they may not be a good mother; did not feel proud of being a mother; and felt they no longer had enough time for themselves. The researchers also found this group much less likely to enjoy feeding and caring for their babies, and more likely to worry their child would turn out unhealthy or not normal."

Researchers compared levels of adjustment between 67 first-time moms without eating disorder histories and 44 first-time moms with histories of either anorexia or bulimia. Only 13 percent of the non-eating-disorder group struggled to adjust to motherhood, compared with 92 percent of those with histories of disordered eating. Source: Reuters

Labels: mothers, parents, self-esteem

A recent study in Ireland found that teenage girls who are concerned about their weight are more likely to resort to bulimia than dieting and exercise to shed some extra pounds. The survey of 3,000 Irish teenage girls also found that 11% of them exhibited signs of eating disorders.

"Apart from eating concerns, those suffering from eating disorders are also shown to be significantly more affected by lower quality of life. They also tend to consider themselves not as popular as their peers, do not [do] as well academically and rate their mood to be less good than their peers."

Teens that had a poor body image were likely to have parents with body image issues as well. Source: RTE News

Labels: parents, predictors, signs_of_eating_disorders

Transitioning from early childhood to adolescence is tough for boys and girls. The dramatic physical changes teens undergo can affect their body image and self-esteem.

"During puberty adolescents gain weight, the proportions of their bodies shift, muscle mass is gained and secondary sex characteristics, like body hair, emerge. Often this shift in physicality translates to disappointment as the boy who was once comparable in height with his peers, now feels tall and gangly and the girl whose body has matured quickly thinks she is fat and bloated."

Parents need to be aware of this potential shift in body image, especially since media and advertising are so saturated with physical images that are unrealistic and unobtainable. Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Help him process his emotional reaction to his physical changes. Reinforce her value as a person, independent of her size or shape. Source: BellaOnline

Labels: body_image, parents, puberty

A young woman writes in to an advice columnist looking for help in dealing with her parents. For years, she struggled with bulimia and now - thanks in part to counseling and antidepressants - she's healthy, has good relationships, and is genuinely excited about her life. But mom isn't supportive. How hard should this young woman try to win over her mom?

"Ask your counselor if it would be a good idea to bring your mother to a session. It might help her accept your choices if she hears from a professional."

The advice columnist goes on to say that if mom is still unsupportive, the girl needs to put her own health before her mom's approval. Source: SunHerald.com.

Labels: parents, support, therapy

Nancy Clarkson's daughter was diagnosed with anorexia when she was just 14-years-old. Nancy remembers how helpless she felt, and how uncertain she was about where to go for help.

"...although her daughter appears to be in 'the home stretch', Clarkson said she feels compelled to reach out to other local parents whose children may be at the very beginning of their struggles. If they are anything like she was, they are probably at a loss as to where to get help for their kids, Clarkson said."

She intends to start a support group in the San Ramon Valley of California, and hopes the group will provide much-need guidance and emotional support for families affected by eating disorders.

Camp Huntington is a special needs summer camp in New York. Visit www.camphuntington.com to learn more about their camps for disabled children.

Labels: awareness, parents, support

The messages given by parents and peers are strong influencers in a young girl's self-image. Over the years, studies have found that, while the media does exert influence, the opinions of parents and other adolescents also affect a girl's opinion of her appearance.

"Pike & Rodin (1991) found that mothers whose daughters were eating disordered were themselves more eating disorders, and thought that their daughters should lose more weight than the mothers of non-eating disordered girls."

Family support of weight acceptance and appearance has been reported as an important factor in a girl's overall self-acceptance and self-esteem.

Read more at About-Face.org.

Labels: media_influences, parents, self-image_issues

A father's attitudes and comments are important factors in whether his daughter will develop bulimia and other eating disorders, a new study by Stanford University shows.

If a father is overly critical of his little girl's weight or if he himself is trying to lose weight, his daughter is more likely to develop an eating disorder in adolescence. The research also indicated that both parents could raise their daughter's risk by being overly controlling about what she eats, putting pressure on her to be thin, and placing too much emphasis on weight control.

A research team led by Dr. W. Stewart Agras followed 134 boys and girls from birth to age 11. Parents filled out annual questionnaires about their children's eating habits and weights.

One key finding was that concerns about being thin could start as early as third grade. This study appeared in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Labels: children, parents, support