How to Help Someone With an Eating Disorder: 5 Practical Tips

3. Encourage Professional Help

Though eating disorders impact physical health, they are ultimately serious mental health conditions; eating disorder treatment requires professional intervention. Encourage your loved one to seek help from a mental health professional who specializes in eating disorders.

Here are some steps to guide them toward getting help:

• Acknowledge that your loved one may feel intense fear about taking the first step in seeking appropriate healthcare professionals.
• Ask your loved one if they’d like your help researching therapists, support groups, outpatient programs or treatment centers.
• Let them know it’s okay to take small steps, but don’t let their excuses block their path to treatment.
• Offer to attend appointments for support.

If they resist getting help, stay patient and continue to offer support. Empower their journey by regularly checking in with questions like “How are you feeling today?” or “What kind of support would be most helpful right now?” When discussing their condition, gently remind them about health concerns without becoming demanding or judgmental. Remember that being too pushy might cause your loved one to withdraw from your support completely.

Professional help provides the structure, guidance, and therapeutic environment essential for recovery. Mental health professionals specializing in eating disorders have the expertise to create personalized treatment plans and support your loved one through each stage of the healing process.

4. Support Positive Changes in Eating Habits

NEDA makes it clear that an active support network plays a crucial role in eating disorder recovery.³

Affirm your loved one as they develop a balanced relationship with food by encouraging small, manageable changes. These could include:

• Encouraging regular meals: Help them get into the habit of eating regular, balanced meals and snacks.
• Promoting variety: Encourage them to eat a wide range of foods to shift away from restricting.
• Being patient: Overcoming disordered eating behaviors takes time.

In supporting your loved one, focus on the importance of nourishment and self-care as they work to establish and maintain a healthy weight.

5. Encourage Ongoing Self-Compassion

Recovering from an eating disorder is a long-term journey, and learning self-compassion is essential for healing.⁴

Encourage your loved one to be gentle with themselves and celebrate all their successes and accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Remind your them that setbacks are a normal part of the process, and to stay focused on their progress. 

You can support this process by:

• Offering words of encouragement
• Demonstrating self-kindness
• Modeling mindfulness
• Gently reminding them that they are more than their eating disorder

Remind them as often as necessary that healing is a marathon, not a sprint—and can only happen one step at a time.

Understanding the Roots of Eating Disorders

While the practical steps above provide guidance on how to support someone, knowing why eating disorders develop can deepen your empathy and effectiveness as a support person. The following risk factors help explain the complex origins of these conditions.

Biological Risk Factors

• Genetic predisposition: People with a parent or sibling who has an eating disorder⁵ are more likely to develop an eating disorder themselves.
• Family mental health history: People with parents or siblings suffering from anxiety, depression, or addiction are also at increased risk of developing an eating disorder.
• Diabetes: Studies show that people with Type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop an eating disorder,⁶ typically in connection with skipping insulin injections.

Behavioral Risk Factors

• Fixed mindset: Rigid thinking and difficulty switching between tasks are risk factors for developing an eating disorder.
• Perfectionist tendencies:⁷ People who generally set high expectations for themselves are at a greater risk for developing an eating disorder.
• Rashness: People who make spontaneous, rash, or impulsive decisions⁸—especially in negative emotional states, without thinking through the outcomes or repercussions—are more likely to develop an eating disorder.
• Dysregulated emotions:⁹ People who are less emotionally aware or lack tools for processing emotions are higher risk of developing an eating disorder.
• Avoidant personality traits: Some people have a pattern of avoiding things that could be stressful or uncomfortable. These people may be more likely to develop an eating disorder. Research shows that about 19% of people with restricting-type anorexia also have avoidant personality disorder.¹⁰ However, these personality traits relate more to negative mood states than to eating disorder symptoms themselves. 
• Negative body perception: Many people experience feelings of body discomfort and dissatisfaction with their appearance without developing an eating disorder. However, people with an eating disorder diagnosis have more severe body image disturbance¹¹ compared to the general population.
• Dieting patterns: People who restrict food, diet frequently, or focus intensely on maintaining a certain weight are more likely to develop an eating disorder.
• History of mental health disorders: Not all people who experience mental health challenges will develop an eating disorder. But many people with eating disorders have a history of mental health challenges.
• Substance use disorder: Eating disorders and substance use disorders¹² frequently co-occur.

Cultural Risk Factors

• Fat shaming: Thin-ideal messaging in media can fuel your body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk. Direct teasing or bullying about your body can similarly trigger disordered eating patterns.
• Loneliness: Research shows you’re more likely to experience social impairment and mental health issues when struggling with an eating disorder. Your feelings of isolation can both trigger disordered eating behaviors¹³ and result from them.
• Trauma: Not all people who experience trauma will develop an eating disorder. That being said, many people with eating disorders have a history of physical, emotional, or sexual trauma.¹⁴
• Nutritional knowledge gap: People who are less informed about proper nutrition¹⁵ are also at higher risk for eating disorders.

Neurodivergence and Eating Disorders

Some people experience discomfort when eating due to conditions like autism¹⁶ or ADHD. As a result, these people are more likely to develop an eating disorder.

These steps can provide clarity and confidence in helping your loved one establish sustainable wellness practices amidst intense fear and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Supporting a Loved One

Offering support to a loved one with an eating disorder requires patience, compassion, dedication, and understanding. While the path to recovery can be challenging, your support can be a guiding light in their journey.

Remember, your role is to listen, encourage, and help them seek the right professional help to achieve lasting healing. The first professional you connect with may or may not be appropriate; stay committed to finding the right healthcare professional.

By focusing on empathy and practical steps to establish well-being, you can help your loved one navigate the process toward a healthier relationship with food, wellness, and themselves.

Ready to take action? Find an eating disorder treatment center near you and speak with a trained professional who can point you in the right direction.

FAQs

Q: What are some coping strategies for eating disorders?

A: Effective coping strategies include developing healthy routines, practicing mindfulness, engaging in therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), setting realistic goals, building a support system, and journaling emotions instead of suppressing them. Professional treatment is often essential for long-term recovery.

Q: What not to do to help someone with an eating disorder?

A: Avoid making comments about their weight, appearance, or food choices. Don’t try to force them to eat, guilt them, or assume recovery is a matter of willpower. Instead, focus on being a compassionate, nonjudgmental listener and encourage professional support.

Q: How to help someone who doesn’t want to eat?

A: Offer support without pressure. Sit with them during meals, ask open-ended questions, and focus on how they’re feeling rather than what they’re eating. Encourage them to speak with a mental health professional who specializes in eating disorders.

Q: How to help someone with binge eating disorder?

A: Encourage open communication without shame or blame. Offer support in seeking therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, which is effective in treating binge eating. Avoid food policing or diet talk and promote body neutrality and balanced eating.

Q: How to help someone with disordered eating?

A: Start by expressing concern in a kind, non-confrontational way. Help them find professional treatment and educate yourself on disordered eating behaviors. Validate their feelings and avoid making assumptions about their motivations or health.

Q: What causes an eating disorder?

A: Eating disorders are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Low self-esteem, trauma, societal pressure, perfectionism, and family dynamics can all contribute to the development of these disorders.

Q: What causes anorexia nervosa?

A: Anorexia nervosa can stem from a mix of biological predispositions (like genetics and neurobiology), personality traits such as perfectionism, and environmental influences including trauma, cultural ideals of thinness, and family expectations.

Q: Can you prevent anorexia nervosa?

A: While not all cases are preventable, early education on body image, promoting healthy coping strategies, reducing exposure to harmful media messages, and fostering open communication can help reduce risk, especially in adolescents.

Q: Do you need help supporting a loved one?

A: If you’re struggling to support someone with an eating disorder, consider joining a support group, speaking with a therapist, or contacting an eating disorder helpline. Your emotional well-being is important too, and guidance can help you better assist your loved one.

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa?

A: Common signs include frequent episodes of binge eating followed by purging (vomiting, laxatives, excessive exercise), preoccupation with weight and body image, swollen cheeks, damaged teeth, callused knuckles, and secretive eating behaviors.

Q: When Is National Mental Health Awareness Month?

A: National Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May. It promotes understanding, reduces stigma, and encourages access to mental health care for all individuals.

Q: How can I support a friend recovering from an eating disorder?

A: Be patient, nonjudgmental, and consistent. Listen actively, avoid commenting on food or appearance, and celebrate non-appearance-based victories. Encourage professional help and remind them that recovery is a journey, not a straight line.