Please read the following questions for educational purposes and answer those questions that ask for your answers.
1. What do I do? My daughter or son thinks she/he looks fat although she/he is stick thin or has lost weight recently and is counting calories.
2. What do I do first? Be aware of your feelings of frustration, and even hopelessness. Be still with your feelings first and let go of trying to fix your daughter or son.
3. How do I handle her/his resistance- denial of her/his weight issues?
4. Are eating disorders really about the food? No- they are about many different factors and eating disorder specialists can help.
5. Ask yourself, “What do you see has been the influence of today’s society on weight and self esteem?” Think of an example?
6. Does your young person show depression and low self esteem? Think of an example?
7. Do you as parents, having concern about your young person’s eating behaviors, experience strong feelings of helplessness to even feeling intense frustration? Think of an example.
8. Is your young person allowed to make decisions for her(him)self or have a say in family matters? Can you give an example?
9. Is your young person having trouble at school with restricting what they eat? Think of an example?
10. Is it time to find a good therapist that will help find out what drives your young person to do this kind of behaviors?
11. Are you willing to tell your young person in very specific words using an I statement first, that you are worried? For example, ”I am worried about you, and would you seek help?”
12. It isn’t unusual for teenagers to be reluctant to eat breakfast, but is this behavior coupled with reductions in eating at other times, making herself sick and weight loss, this suggests she may be developing an eating disorder and this requires treatment as soon as possible. Ask yourself, “How do I feel about this approach?”
Early treatment is most successful. Act now.
Kathleen Fuller, Ph.D. Leading Eating Disorder Expert
1# Amazon Bestselling Book- Not Your Mother’s Diet
(A classic, comprehensive,& deeply spiritual book for your eating issues.)
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http://www.notyourmothersdiet.com
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Check out this awesome article for parents worried about their kids eating.