How to prevent eating disorders

Teach healthy beliefs and attitudes`

• Examine how your beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about body image are shaped by discrimination based on weight and sex.
• Closely examine your dreams and goals for your children and other loved ones. Do you place too much importance on beauty and body shape, especially for girls?
• Avoid making your children feel that you will like them more if they lose weight, don’t eat so much, look more like the thin models in the ads or fit into slimmer clothes.
• Educate your children about the differences in body types, and teach them that prejudice is unacceptable. Teach your children not to tease, criticize, blame or stare – behaviors that can reinforce negative attitudes toward overweight people.

Encourage healthy behavior

• Learn about and discuss the following with your children.
  • Dangers of trying to alter body shape through dieting
  • Value of moderate exercise for health and fitness
  • Importance of eating a variety of foods in well-balanced meals, at least three times a day. Find out more about healthy eating.
• Don’t label foods as "good, safe, no-fat or low-fat" or "bad, dangerous or fattening."
• Help children (girls and boys) understand how television, magazines and other media imply that a thin body means power, excitement and sexuality. Teach them not to be influenced by this.
• Educate boys about the various forms of abuse against women, including discrimination based on weight. Help them understand their responsibility for preventing it.
• Encourage your children to be active and enjoy what their bodies can do and feel like. Do not limit their caloric intake unless a doctor requests it due to a medical problem.
• Promote self-esteem and self-respect in intellectual, athletic and social activities. Give boys and girls the same opportunities and encouragement. Avoid suggesting that females are less important than males, such as by exempting males from housework and child care. A well-rounded self and solid self-esteem are the best protection against mindless dieting and disordered eating.

Be a good role model

• Be a good role model with sensible eating, sensible exercise and self-acceptance.
• Exercise for the joy of feeling your body move, not to burn fat or calories.
• Do not avoid activities such as swimming, sunbathing or dancing simply because they call attention to your weight and shape. Do not wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that you dislike just because they take attention away from your weight or shape.
• Take people, women in particular, seriously for what they say, feel and do, not for how thin or “well put together” they appear.

Find out more about eating disorders.