Love your body, love yourself – part two

09 Oct 2011 04:56 AM | Posted by bh'sOlivia

If you’ve ever suffered a ‘fat day’, or looked at your skinny jeans in terror, odds are you’re like every other woman on the planet – body conscious.

Part of being a female is having days when you just don’t feel like rocking a skimpy bikini, because your floaty dress that hides your big lunch just seems like a safer option.

It’s okay, you’re not alone! We called on The Butterfly Foundation’s Christine Morgan to answer your questions on how to battle body consciousness and what you can do to help those suffering around you, and this is part two of the chat…

 

 

 

 

Q: How can you identify if someone close to you has an eating disorder, and what’s the best way to broach the topic with them?

 

An eating disorder is a psychiatric disorder and not really possible to diagnose just from observing someone. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be worried – some of the signs to be concerned about are:

  • • A friend becoming more secretive about her eating.
  • • Negative comments about food – there is a focus on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.
  • • Negative comments about themselves – this is always a sign to watch out for.
  • • More and more concerned about appearance – and making comments about how she looks (always negative again).
  • • Mood swings and seeming to back away from social times with friends.

 

If you have a friend you are concerned about, don’t ignore the issue – your concerns may be very valid and it is better to care enough to say something rather than to ignore the situation. However, it is better to concentrate on the feelings side of things rather than food or eating. Perhaps asking your friend if there is something wrong, if they are stressed about anything – and remind them how lovely and special they are, building up their self-esteem.

 

If you are really worried there are also professional organisations you can call to chat – at Butterfly we have a Support Line that is there for anyone to ring / email us on for information and help – it is 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

 

 

Q: What would you recommend in terms of support for families in which someone suffers from an eating disorder?

 

The family of someone with an eating disorder needs a great deal of support and understanding. They will be incredibly worried about their family member and will be very focused on trying to help them. One of the most important things they need is information about the eating disorder and how to help – once again they should feel free to contact Butterfly on its Support Line. They need to have encouragement and hope – it is possible to recover from an eating disorder and there are many things that can be done. They need time out – friends to remind them to take some down time to lessen the stress they are feeling as carers and family. They need to look after themselves – and have someone treat them from time to time.

 

 

Q: How can you help to build your child’s body confidence and help them have a good relationship with food from a young age?

 

The starting point for this one is how you feel about your own body and self esteem.  It really is true that children pick up the attitudes and beliefs of their parents – if we feel bad about ourselves, critical of, or restrictive about our eating, and call ourselves ‘fat’ or other negative names then our children will probably end up doing the same. It is also important to remind children from the earliest possible age about their good points which have nothing to do with their looks – their laughter, their smile, what a good friend they are – those sorts of things. They need to understand that a person’s value is not measured by how they look but by who they are. It is also a good idea to let your children have a very varied diet – not good and bad foods but a wide selection with an emphasis on health (but not a fixation). Finally, if you can, try and avoid using food as a reward – although this can be highly tempting it really is sending the wrong message to your child. Food is something we need to fuel our bodies, not our emotions. If we can help our children deal with their emotions other than through food we are providing them with an incredibly strong foundation for a healthy future.

 

 

Q: How should you deal with a friend that constantly complains about being fat, when she has a perfect body?

 

As much as possible, change the conversation! You will probably not be able to convince her that she is not fat so perhaps don’t give that particular topic any oxygen. Rather talk about positive things about her that have nothing to do with her appearance. If she wants to comment on someone else’s appearance don’t respond directly but rather comment back on some other attribute. Talk about positive and interesting things that are happening in her life and yours.

 

 

What is your best tip to help someone dealing with body issues?

 

Check out Part one of the interview here...