Eating Disorder Prevention Resources for Families and Schools

Anna and I are registered dietitians who have each worked in the field of eating disorders for almost 20 years. In our work, we’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact eating disorders can have on individuals and their families.

There’s much work that needs to be done in awareness, prevention of eating disorders, and treatment. An important step in 2022, is the White House proclaimed that February 21st-27th, is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

In this blog post you’ll find the following eating disorder prevention resources:

Downloadable letters parents can send to teachers
Parent and teacher guides
Blog posts and podcast episodes on eating disorder prevention
Eating disorder prevention organizations

Blogs posts about eating disorders prevention

5 Things We Wish All Parents Knew About Nutrition – Helping kids build a healthy relationship with food means parents need to be able to identify and challenge diet culture. A Registered Dietitian shares practical, weight-inclusive strategies for eating disorder prevention.
The Case for Not Owning a Scale – Anna writes about the importance of not owing a scale in raising body confident kids.
An Alarming Eating Disorders Epidemic – In this post, Anna writes about the staggering rise of eating disorders during the pandemic. She also shares important information about eating and exercise behaviors that are red flags. And what to do if you’re concerned about your child or teen’s behaviors.
A Letter to Your Child’s Doctor – Anna and Katja Rowell, MD (The Feeding Doctor) wrote a letter parents can use to ask their pediatrician not to discuss weight in front of their child(ren). The letter includes evidence that backs up the 2016 American Academy of Pediatrics’ statement that providers should not talk about weight with children and adolescents.
The Intersection of Anxiety, Eating Disorders, and IBS – In this post, guest post writer Jessica Long digs into the research on the overlap between anxiety, eating disorders, and IBS

Podcast Episodes

Episode 19: Myths and Truths about Eating Disorders – Co-hosts Anna Lutz and Anna Mackay talk with Oona Hansen, an educator and parent coach who provides support to parents of tweens and teens.
Episode 29: What Parents Need to Know about Eating Disorders – Anna Lutz and Elizabeth Davenport chat with Kerri Heckert, MS, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S, ACSM-CEP, a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian, and Eleanor Benner, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist. They highlight the importance of modeling food neutrality, normalizing body and weight changes, and that eating disorders affect people of all shapes, sizes, races, ethnicities, genders and religions.
Episode 30: Food Insecurity and Eating Disorders – The Research with Dr. Carolyn Becker – In this episode Anna Lutz. and Anna Mackay. have a conversation with Carolyn Becker, PhD, a professor of psychology and licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in PTSD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. We highlight Dr. Becker’s research, which focuses on the link between food insecurity and eating disorders.

Additional Resources

We hope you find our resources helpful. And if you’d like more information about eating disorders here are some additional resources:

We’ll be posting useful information on our social media channels during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. (Click here to follow us on Instagram; click here to follow us on Facebook). In addition, we highlighted some of our relevant blog posts and podcasts for you here.