Focus on the Family’s Youth Culture department

Discussing body image and eating disorders is difficult, but it is important to create a safe place for your teens to express what they are going through.

Reading the warning signs of eating disorders requires your patience as a parent. Not every situation will contain the same circumstances. Nor will every child or teen display identical warning signs. Remember to prioritize love and care in conversations involving warning signs of eating disorders.

Preventing eating disorders in kids requires a lot of a parent. When assessing your first steps, remember that your love and care are vital to your child’s mental and physical wellbeing. Explore our guiding principles for situations where eating disorders might be present in your children.

Learning that your child struggles with an eating disorder can be shocking and overwhelming. Explore some of the initial causes and risks associated with eating disorders. Then, learn more about how negative thought patterns lead to a vicious cycle of pain, loneliness and worry. Finally, see how you can positively impact your child’s mentality and encourage them to form a lasting bond.