8 Things Parents can Do to Help Prevent Eating Disorders

safe-harbor-admin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:51:06 +0000

1. Are your beliefs and behaviors about your own body and the bodies of others affected by weight and sexism? Become aware of how your belief system has been shaped and what you are telling your children directly and indirectly. Then educate them about how genetics determine different body types and how we can’t all look the same. People come in all shapes and sizes.
2. Are you putting too much emphasize on how your children look? Avoid telling them that how they look makes you love/like them more or less, or “you should eat less” or “you really should be a size smaller”.
3. Avoid teasing, blaming and criticizing someone about their weight and appearance. If your children hear you send a strong message that it is OK to do that, they will either do it to others or turn it towards themselves.
4. Educate yourself and your children on the dangers of altering ones body image, as well as dieting and exercising too much.
5. Make a commitment to exercise because it makes you feel good, not to burn calories, and teach your children the same.
6. Be a good rolemodel when it comes to eating, exercising and self-acceptance. Avoid categorizing food as good/bad. A well balanced diet is made up of 3 meals a day that contain a little bit of everything. Children should not be dieting unless directly instructed to do so by a physician.
7. Encourage your children to be active and enjoy themselves. They are much better off doing something they like doing than something you think they should be doing.
8. Educate yourself and your children on how the media, magazines and advertisement have distorted what the human body is supposed to look like, by primarily depicting one bodytype, and making us believe that the only way to be powerful, happy, sexy and succesful is if you live up to that norm.

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8 Things Parents can Do to Help Prevent Eating Disorders