When your teen is struggling with an eating disorder, it’s natural to wonder what you could have done differently. Maybe you have your own history with dieting or body image struggles and have worked hard to create a different environment for your children. Maybe you’ve tried to avoid negative body talk, encourage a positive relationship with food, and protect your teen from the messages you grew up hearing. And now, you’re watching your child struggle with something you desperately wanted to help them avoid. As an eating disorder therapist, I want parents to know that your teen’s struggles do not mean you have failed. You can do many things to support your child, but you cannot control every experience, influence, or challenge they encounter.
Everywhere we look these days, it seems like we see another person who has had a weight loss experience. Celebrities, friends, family members, and even recovery role models you have always looked up to. GLP-1s have made weight loss and the consideration of weight loss medication much more present in everyday conversations. It’s no longer just celebrities. You may have first started noticing the trend through social media and celebrity content, but now it has become a lot closer to home. You may be noticing body changes in close friends, coworkers, family members, and other people you see regularly. You can no longer just shut off your phone and turn away from it; these changes and conversations can feel like they are everywhere you go. You may even see changes in recovery role models you never expected to participate in the same weight loss culture you worked so hard to move away from.
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.
