Below are some common signs of eating disorders- if your child has these, this does not mean they have an eating disorder. It does mean, you should get them evaluated. This list is by no means exhaustive and is not intended to diagnose an eating disorder.

● Only eating foods they deem “healthy” or “clean”

● Avoiding all sweets (ice cream, cupcakes, candy)

● Avoiding carbs (bread, pizza, pasta)

● Not eating foods they used to love and enjoy

● Exercising more than they did before or exercising excessively

● Feeling the need to exercise even when tired or exhausted

● Being upset when exercise is not allowed or withheld

● Not wanting to eat in front of others

● Insisting they are ‘not hungry’ for dinner or that they ‘ate a big snack’ when you weren’t home

● Wearing baggy or loose-fitting clothes

● Changes in appearance (weight loss-but not always!, pale, discolored skin, dark circles under eyes, hair loss)

● Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

● Constantly feeling cold; wearing sweatshirts in hot weather

● Going to the bathroom after meals

● Using laxatives excessively

● Drinking more caffeine than normal

● Drinking more water than normal

● Chewing gum excessively

● Counting food items

● Reading nutrition labels

● Counting or tracking calories, usually on phone apps

● Having a low Heart Rate

● Falling off their growth curve

● Lack of weight gain

● Irritability

● Not wanting to interact with family or friends how they used to

● Spending more time alone in their room

● Bringing food home in their lunch box

● Finding food or wrappers in the bedroom

As long as it takes to get rid of the eating disorder. Usually, the longer the ED has been present, the longer treatment is. I generally say anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. FBT is made to last 6-12 months.

Weekly family therapy sessions of 50-60 minutes.

FBT can work with many different family structures, as long as there is a support team. Doing it as a single parent is really hard and we recommended seeking support from friends or extended family members during treatment. Divorced families successfully complete FBT all the time- the key is COMMUNICATION. We will work to help you communicate effectively with your child’s parent to ensure the best possible outcomes for your child. They need you BOTH to step-up and help them get rid of this ED.

This depends. Right now our main goal is to get your child eating regularly. This might mean having supervised lunches or going to school to eat with your child.

I will work collaboratively with your pediatrician to determine the best way to get your child to a healthy place. This will likely look like more frequent visits to the pediatrician for weight and medical monitoring. I will request growth charts from your pediatrician and a Release of Information so that we can work together.

They probably won’t. That’s ok. We don’t need them to want to go to therapy or to like it. We need them to live. As long as you are on board as parents, that’s all we need for FBT to work.

That’s up to you! FBT does not require a dietician. You have fed your child their whole life- you helped them to grow and develop wonderfully until the eating disorder came in- you can do it again. I can help you with structure and guidance in terms of Meal Plan and Ideas. You can also work with a dietician who specializes in Eating Disorders! There are many wonderful ones out there. Please be cautious of working with a dietician who does not have any eating disorder training as it could be harmful to our work together.