64: “Does My Child Have an Eating Disorder?” Part 1

The “Bite Sized Education” Series

In this week’s part 1 episode of “Does My Child Have an Eating Disorder?,” we discuss the nature vs nurture of the development of eating disorders or a disorder relationship with food and bodies. We explore how food can be a coping skill that is learned and genetic, the pressures that we receive from the world that can impact our relationship with food, and we discuss why eating disorders have increased during the pandemic. We offer tangible ways of breaking the diet legacy in the home and how parents can provide a safe home that is preventative to the nurturance of an eating disorder. We give parents tools on how to connect with their child by understanding their underlying emotional needs through reflective questioning and listening.

Our amazing listeners also wrote in and in this episode we will answer the following question:

Dear Mom Genes,

My daughter is not even a teenager yet but is already starting to ask questions about why her body is shaped the way it is compared to her friends bodies. She is worried about how her body looks in her bathing suit, will suddenly stop eating certain foods if she hears a commercial or message that those foods are unhealthy, and asked me if she can start weighing herself. I try so hard to be positive even though I don’t love my body either….should I be concerned she has developed an ED? Love, Concerned Mom

LINKS:

Book resources: 

“The Eating Disorders Sourcebook” by Carolyn Costin

“Parents Guide to Eating Disorders” by Marcia Herrin

“When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder” by Lauren Mulheim

Racist roots of diet culture:

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/racism-diet-culture

https://thewellful.com/editorial/racism-diet-culture-podcasts

https://www.amazon.com/Fearing-Black-Body-Racial-Origins/dp/1479886750

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The information presented in this podcast does not replace individual therapy or nutrition recommendations.