Ask Joanna

Joanna answers your questions...

Question: When should I be worried?

"If your child’s eating habits change in a way that seems significant to you. For instance, s/he may begin to restrict food intake or change her diet entirely, may start skipping meals, or may begin to take meal replacement ‘shakes’ and skip meals. Or you may notice s/he now takes only half the portion s/he used to, for no good reason that you can see. Or you notice your child now cuts food up in small pieces and eats very slowly. These are just some examples." Read More

Question: How do I support my child who is struggling with poor body image? What can I do?

"Excellent question!  Here are some tips I like to give parents and kids to use in order to create a more positive body image environment at home: When talking about your own body – be kind, don’t speak negatively about it. Remember, you are a role model. Show your child that when you want to make … Read More" Read More

Question: Can you recover from an eating disorder?

"Yes. What works? There is no one answer to this because as we always say, if there was something that worked, we’d all be doing it and everyone would recover quickly. There can be many reasons for, and many individual parts to, an eating disorder. Because of this, recovery is an intricate process, and will have as much to do with your child’s specific needs as it will with the therapeutic processes that we have had success with. " Read More

Question: My child seems to eat healthy food but s/he is losing weight. Should I be worried?

"It depends. Sometimes a change in diet, even to what seem to be healthy foods, can be an indicator of disordered eating, but it isn’t always. For instance, a child who suddenly declares s/he is Vegan could just be using that as an excuse to explain away what is really happening, which may be that she is engaging in unhealthy calorie restriction. With a closer look, you may notice that your child is restricting the healthy foods she eats and really not getting the well-rounded nutrients s/he needs for healthy body growth and maintenance." Read More

Question: My child seems to eat healthy food but s/he is gaining weight. Should I be worried?

"Weight fluctuation is a healthy part of growing up. A teenager needs more calories during times of rapid growth (i.e. puberty). If your child eats when hungry and stops when satisfied, then s/he will learn to eat according to internal hunger and fullness cues. It is important to know that children gain weight in advance of the rapid growth period that occurs during puberty, and that this weight gain is quite normal. " Read More

Question: Is my child’s eating disorder my fault?

"No. An eating disorder is not anyone’s fault. It’s important to remember that an eating disorder is a coping mechanism for your child to help create some control because s/he is feeling out of control. Do you need to be involved in your child’s recovery? Yes. Research increasingly points to family involvement in a child’s recovery as the single best predictor of a positive outcome. " Read More

Question: Why won’t s/he just eat?

"Eating disorders are not just about food; they are far more complicated. This can be a difficult concept to grasp because it contradicts what appears to be the only problem: “If only you’d just eat something!” An eating disorder is really about gaining some kind of control in a world that, sometimes for reasons that won’t seem apparent, feels very out of control. The eating disorder becomes a coping mechanism to take some control back. Controlling the food you eat and what you will and will not take into your body can feel very powerful." Read More

Question: What role does the media play in causing eating disorders?

"We are constantly bombarded with images from the media that show us a narrow picture of what it looks like to be cool, successful, and attractive. We are exposed to these messages more than ever before — through the Internet, TV advertisements, magazines, and social media. Models, actors, and celebrities are used to portray an … Read More" Read More

Question: What causes someone to have an eating disorder?

"Great question! That’s a very common question when it comes to understanding eating disorders. Many wonder about the root cause and what drives people to resort to eating disorder behaviors and thinking in the first place. Eating disorders are complex and the reasons behind their development are often unique to the individual. There can be many … Read More" Read More

Question: As a parent, how involved should I be?

"Eating disorders are a family problem, and there is growing evidence to suggest that family involvement is crucial to recovery – for everyone. " Read More