Home Health & Personal Care

Preventing an eating disorder in your child

The root of many eating disorders seems to be emotional or psychological. Oftentimes, they run in families, so if you have (or still are) suffered an eating disorder, you need to be especially vigilant in watching your children for possible signs of an eatiing disorder.

There are many ways that experts suggest you can help prevent an eating disorder in your child.

Practice healthy eating for family meals. A child who sees their parent eating junk food will follow by example.

Help your child build his or her confidence and self-esteem. You should accept your child for who they are on the inside, not based upon how good or skinny they are.

Be careful how you encourage your child to lose weight. Some teenagers continue to lose weight because they feel more loved and appreciated when their parent praises their weight loss or showers them with gifts for their dieting success.

Watch for stress your child may be experiencing. Often eating disorders develop because young women feel that controlling what they eat is the only thing they can control.