Eating disorders are complex illnesses that affect adolescents with increasing frequency. They rank as the third most common chronic illness in adolescent females (1), with an incidence of…

Despite your best efforts to persuade your child to accept professional attention, it’s possible that she’ll continue to resist. At this point, you’ll want…

You and your child do not necessarily want every relative and friend to know that she has an eating disorder. Before you tell others about the diagnosis, you need…

If your child has an eating disorder, chances are she goes to great lengths to avoid eating socially; she probably shuns opportunities to be with friends even if the plans don’t include meals. The…

For an individual with an eating disorder to acknowledge that she is ill and needs help is often very difficult; that’s one of the many reasons some postpone treatment until the disease…

If your child shows signs of an eating disorder (such as weight loss, dieting when there is no need, binge eating, purging), we suggest that she see her primary care physician or pediatrician…

“It was really scary,” says Roberta, of the August before her daughter Serena’s ninth-grade year. Now 24 and well on the road to recovery from anorexia, Serena also…

Since every family situation is different and eating disorders are complex conditions, there is no one “right” way to reach out to your daughter…

The months immediately after childbirth (which are known as the postpartum period) can pose quite a challenge to new moms who have recovered from anorexia or bulimia. Heightened concerns about food and weight are not…

Will she be able to have children? If your daughter developed an eating disorder as a teen or young adult, that question may have gnawed at you before she was ready to address it.…

“My daughter is about to turn 35,” says Claudia. “A decade ago, her eating disorder was getting the best of her, and I was terrified that I’d lose her. She’s doing well now,…

Whether your child may benefit from psychiatric medication warrants close evaluation by her primary care physician or a psychopharmacologist (a psychiatrist who specializes in medication).

Thus far, most research on…

The number-one priority of your child’s treatment team will be to help her reach and maintain medical safety. While the physical complications of anorexia result mostly from self-starvation, those associated with bulimia…

Healthy puberty brings about a growth spurt. Young people who develop anorexia before reaching their genetically programmed adult height may end up shorter than they would be if they were nutritionally healthy. Boys grow…

Will she get better? How? Those questions weighed heavily on Lucinda’s mind when she first came to talk to us about her daughter, who had developed anorexia nervosa and soon became our patient.…

Risk factors for Eating disorders are factors that do not seem to be a direct cause of the disease, but seem to be associated in some way. Having a risk…

Yvette, 47, an acclaimed long-distance runner, relates her eating disorder, which struck as a college senior and lasted 10 years, to her determination to run the perfect marathon. Coached to…

The ability of a serious athlete to push herself to the limit can be a unique gift. Over the past 30 years, more athletic opportunities have opened up to women than ever…

It is not unusual for a young person to perceive her parents as more perfect than they are. If your child is under the impression that accomplishments come very easily to…

Conscientiousness and a drive to excel are positive qualities through which a person can make great strides. But not everyone who works hard in school is an A…

Adolescent girls tend to form exclusive groups called cliques, complete with leaders and specific codes of behavior regarding what is acceptable. A given middle or high school may include many cliques, each with its…

One of the myths surrounding eating disorders is that they are a “white kid’s problem.” The truth is that body angst and unhealthy eating practices beleaguer people of all races and…

“Why does my child have an eating disorder? Why did this happen? Is it my fault?” Although scientists have found clues as to why eating disorders arise, there are no definitive…