Reinforce positive changes without focusing on weight, shape or appearance
Be warm and caring, yet appropriate and determined with boundaries, rules, and guidelines
Remove triggers from your environment: no diet foods, scales, and stress
Follow treatment team's recommendations
Preparation Stage
Ask the person and treatment team how you can be be best involved in the recovery process
Explore your own thoughts and beliefs about food, weight, shape, and appearance
When supporting a person with their recovery, identify your role
Contemplation Stage
Seek your own encouragement from support groups for family and friends
Do not "fix" the problem yourself
Be a good listener
Educate yourself about the disorder
If person is under 18, insist they receive professional help from a qualified eating disorder specialist
Pre-Contemplation Stage
Openly share your thoughts and concerns with your child or loved one
Avoid rationalizing their eating disordered behaviors
Be aware of the signs and symptoms
Do no be in denial of of a friend's or families eating disorder
5 Stages of Change
Maintenance
Action
Preparation
Contemplation
Pre-Contemplation
Main topic
Risk Factor
Biological
Type 1 diabetes
Negative energy balance
History of dieting
Having a close relative with a mental health condition
Having close relative with an eating disorder
Social
Limited social networks
Appearance ideal internalization
Weight stigma
Historicaltrauma
Acculturation
Teasing or bullying
Psychological
Behavioral inflexibility
Personal history of an anxiety disorder
Body image dissatisfaction
Perfectionism
History
The first recorded case of anorexia occurred in an upper class Roman woman who was a member of a spiritual group being led by St. Jerome. Her behavior was driven by her Gnostic religious beliefs.
Africa contains several stories concerning adults who fasted during times of extreme famine in order to save food for their children, and then continued to restrict their diet and were in danger of dying even after the famine was over.
Ancient Egyptians drew hieroglyphics that depicted their use of monthly purges to avoid illness
Romans overindulged at lavish banquets and then relieved themselves by vomiting so they could return to the feast and continue eating.