When you’ve decided to talk to your child, pick a quiet time and place. Make sure that there is not food involved (e.g., don’t have the conversation over dinner or at the local Starbucks). It’s usually best to have these conversations one on one rather than involving the whole family. Try to set the tone for a good conversation by being calm and matter-of-fact.

It can be very hard to help your daughter seek eating disorder treatment when she doesn’t think she has a problem. Keep in mind that denial is a large part of the eating disorder. So, often times, young women (or men) with eating disorders truly don’t think that there is anything wrong with their behavior and wish that others would stop worrying about it.

Parents often have a good intuition when something is not quite right with their child. When trying to determine if your child has an eating disorder, it is important to look at several different symptom areas including weight, food intake, appearance, and other related behaviors.

One of the most important steps you can take to support your child during eating disorder treatment is to make sure that your child has a treatment team that specializes in treating eating disorders. Treating eating disorders can be complicated and risky; you want to make sure that your child is in the hands of someone who has extensive training and experience specifically in this field. When your child feels comfortable and understood by her providers, treatment usually proceeds more smoothly.