February 26 through March 4 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Christy Beck, from Beck Psychotherapy shares her tips for helping to prevent eating disorders in your child.
1. Change Your Thinking
- Examine your beliefs
- Practice mindful eating
- Encourage balanced eating
- Stop criticizing your shape
2. Model Healthy Attitudes for Young People
- Set a positive example of a healthy food relationship
- Help children accept their bodies
- Build self-esteem by showing unconditional love
- Develop a value system based on internal values
- Watch for warning signs
3. Warning Signs
- Refusing family meals
- Skipping meals
- Comments about self and others (“I’m too fat; s/he’s too fat”)
- Clothes shopping that becomes stressful
- Withdrawal from friends
- Irritability and depression
- Any signs of extreme dieting, bingeing, or purging
Information courtesy of National Eating Disorders Association.
Beck Psychotherapy offers free mental health screenings.
Beck Psychotherapy is located at 103 East Beaver Ave. Suite #2 in State College, and at 700 Park Avenue Suite #1 in Altoona. You can call them at (814) 409-7744. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.