subject: How Can You Prevent The Eating Disorder Bulimia [print this page] As a parent we know that our children face so many obstacles during adolescence, and body issues are very prevalent in any teens mind. In preventing eating disorders, often it is better to start at a younger age. By providing them with information on having a healthy relationship with food and developing a positive body image, this can help instill within them a healthy outlook in life.
One of the best and most necessary tools to prevent eating disorders is to develop a positive body image. This can be very difficult and can take a lot of work, but by encouraging your child to accept their bodies, and appreciate it for the beauty it naturally possesses, is not only vital in building up self esteem, but is one of the most strongest tools for eating disorder prevention.
A parent can emphasize the importance of moderate exercise for strength and health, instead of emphasizing the need to burn calories and lose weight. Talking with your child about nutrition, and that it is needed to support our bodies in remaining healthy, instead of using terms such as; diets, losing weight or cutting calories, can also help change how your child feels about eating.
Encouraging your child to become an advocate against unhealthy body images and eating, that are being sent not only from the media but also from their own peers, can become a source of strength and empowerment for them. By sending this message to your child, he or she can help develop the strength, along with the confidence, to stand up to peer pressure concerning body image.
Encouraging our children to speak out against unhealthy behaviors, or images portrayed within media amongst their peers, not only can change common thought of body image but also can help possibly put an end to all forms of body discrimination.
Encouraging roll models that live a healthy lifestyle and are not of an unhealthy weight, helps re-enforce a healthy lifestyle and body image within a child's mind. Thankfully, there are more and more celebrity roll models available, which are advocates for portraying people with a healthy weight and body image within the media and are working to change these issues.
Our children face so much at their young age, and unfortunately the threat of developing an eating disorder, is all too common in this and age. Prevention of an eating disorder is much easier to achieve, than the painful process of a lifetime of recovery.
