1. Get rid of the notion that a particular diet, weight or body size will automatically lead to happiness and fulfillment. You are more than just what your body looks like.
2. Learn everything you can about anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other types of eating disorders. Genuine awareness will help you avoid judgmental or mistaken attitudes about food, weight, body shape and eating disorders. This will also help you to learn the signs of potential eating disorders so you can spot a problem early and pursue treatment.
3. Make the choice to challenge the false ideas that thinness and weight loss are great, and that body fat and weight gain are horrible or indicate laziness, worthlessness or immorality. It may be helpful to enter into therapy or counseling to look at the root of those thoughts and why you have them. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, can be beneficial because it helps to take negative thoughts to reframe them more positively.
4. Avoid categorizing foods as “good/safe” vs. “bad/dangerous.” Remember that we all need to eat a balanced variety of foods. A healthy diet should focus on whole foods (such as produce, lean meats, low-fat dairy, nuts and legumes) but allows room to enjoy all kinds of food in moderation.
5. Stopped judging others and yourself based on body weight or shape. Turn off the voices in your head that tell you that a person’s body weight is an indicator of their character, personality or value as a person. Again, this is another area where therapy can have a positive outcome.
6. Become a critical viewer of the media and its messages about self-esteem and body image. While there have been great strides in recent years to have more inclusive representation of various body types in film, TV, ads and other media, there is still a preoccupation with thinness. Don’t accept that the images you see are the ideals you should try to attain. When you hear a comment or see an image that promotes thinness at all costs, talk back to the television. If you see a magazine advertisement or article that makes you feel bad about your body shape or size, rip it out or write to the editor about it. You can also put your money where your beliefs are, and support those businesses, television shows, or recording artists, among others, that promote body positivity for people of all shapes and sizes.
7. Choose to value yourself based on your goals, accomplishments, talents and character. Avoid letting the way you feel about your body weight and shape determine the course of your day. Celebrate your body’s unique shape and size and embrace the natural diversity of human bodies. When you do think about your body, don’t focus on how it looks but on what it can do. Be grateful that your body can dance, clean the house, walk up stairs, give birth, and much more.
8. Finally, if you think someone has an eating disorder, express your concerns in a forthright, caring manner. Gently but firmly encourage the person to seek trained professional help. If you have an eating disorder, don’t let it control your life any longer. Call an eating disorder rehabilitation center and find out how a residential treatment program can help you regain control over your life.
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Answer:
8 Eating Disorder Prevention Tips
1. Get rid of the notion that a particular diet, weight or body size will automatically lead to happiness and fulfillment. You are more than just what your body looks like.
2. Learn everything you can about anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other types of eating disorders. Genuine awareness will help you avoid judgmental or mistaken attitudes about food, weight, body shape and eating disorders. This will also help you to learn the signs of potential eating disorders so you can spot a problem early and pursue treatment.
3. Make the choice to challenge the false ideas that thinness and weight loss are great, and that body fat and weight gain are horrible or indicate laziness, worthlessness or immorality. It may be helpful to enter into therapy or counseling to look at the root of those thoughts and why you have them. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, can be beneficial because it helps to take negative thoughts to reframe them more positively.
4. Avoid categorizing foods as “good/safe” vs. “bad/dangerous.” Remember that we all need to eat a balanced variety of foods. A healthy diet should focus on whole foods (such as produce, lean meats, low-fat dairy, nuts and legumes) but allows room to enjoy all kinds of food in moderation.
5. Stopped judging others and yourself based on body weight or shape. Turn off the voices in your head that tell you that a person’s body weight is an indicator of their character, personality or value as a person. Again, this is another area where therapy can have a positive outcome.
6. Become a critical viewer of the media and its messages about self-esteem and body image. While there have been great strides in recent years to have more inclusive representation of various body types in film, TV, ads and other media, there is still a preoccupation with thinness. Don’t accept that the images you see are the ideals you should try to attain. When you hear a comment or see an image that promotes thinness at all costs, talk back to the television. If you see a magazine advertisement or article that makes you feel bad about your body shape or size, rip it out or write to the editor about it. You can also put your money where your beliefs are, and support those businesses, television shows, or recording artists, among others, that promote body positivity for people of all shapes and sizes.
7. Choose to value yourself based on your goals, accomplishments, talents and character. Avoid letting the way you feel about your body weight and shape determine the course of your day. Celebrate your body’s unique shape and size and embrace the natural diversity of human bodies. When you do think about your body, don’t focus on how it looks but on what it can do. Be grateful that your body can dance, clean the house, walk up stairs, give birth, and much more.
8. Finally, if you think someone has an eating disorder, express your concerns in a forthright, caring manner. Gently but firmly encourage the person to seek trained professional help. If you have an eating disorder, don’t let it control your life any longer. Call an eating disorder rehabilitation center and find out how a residential treatment program can help you regain control over your life.