Whole Full and Alive Podcast
When a teen develops an eating disorder, it can be tempting to focus on the behaviors we can see. Maybe they’re skipping meals, exercising more than usual, becoming increasingly rigid around food, or expressing distress about changes in their body. But in my work with teens and adults struggling with eating disorders, I’ve found that it’s just as important to understand what’s happening underneath those behaviors. Eating disorders don’t develop in a vacuum. Sometimes, food and body-related behaviors become a way to cope with difficult emotions, navigate changing relationships, feel accepted by others, or regain a sense of control when life feels uncertain. In this episode of Full Recovery Is Possible, I sat down with Kelly Mosser to talk about what may be driving an eating disorder in teens, how parents can recognize potential warning signs, and how to support a teen without making them feel powerless.
Diet culture refers to the beliefs we absorb from our environment about food, bodies, and weight. It teaches us that thinness is something we should all strive for and is associated with being healthier or more attractive. These ideas are misleading and can create unhealthy expectations around food and our bodies. Diet culture includes the feelings and attitudes we develop around dieting from those we surround ourselves with. Just like a religious or community culture, diet culture can become a shared perspective that shapes what people believe about eating, health, and what our bodies should look like. These cultural norms have been reinforced through the media and passed down across generations, continuing to shape the way we think and feel about our bodies.
When most people picture someone with an eating disorder, they have a specific image in mind. Maybe they imagine someone in a smaller body who barely eats or someone whose physical health has become visibly compromised. But eating disorders don't have one particular look, and believing they do can prevent teenagers from getting the support they need. As an eating disorder therapist, one of the things I feel most passionate about is helping parents understand that eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their body size, gender, age, or athletic ability.
