Back-to-School and Eating Disorders
The start of a new school year brings new routines, new pressures, and a lot of change. For students at risk of or recovering from an eating disorder, those changes can make recovery harder or symptoms more noticeable. Knowing what to look for, and how to respond, can make a difference.
Back-to-School and Eating Disorders
The start of a new school year brings new routines, new pressures, and a lot of change. For students at risk of or recovering from an eating disorder, those changes can make recovery harder or symptoms more noticeable. Knowing what to look for, and how to respond, can make a difference.
What Back-to-School Season Can Bring Up
Back-to-school season can be an exciting time for many students, but it can also bring added stress. Changes in routines, social dynamics, sports, school meals, and body image pressures can affect how someone feels about food, their body, or themselves.
While not every challenge is a sign of an eating disorder, times of transition can be when symptoms first emerge or return. Paying attention to changes, whether in yourself or someone else, can make a meaningful difference.
Friends, family members, school staff, and faculty are often the first to notice when something seems different. Recognizing the signs early can help someone connect with help sooner.
Below, you’ll find guidance, resources, and practical tips to help recognize concerns, start supportive conversations, and navigate the back-to-school season.
Heading to College? This Webinar Is for You.
Open to All · No CE
Eating Disorder Recovery on Campus: Navigating Triggers, Boundaries, and College Life
The transition to college can bring exciting new experiences and new challenges for students navigating eating disorder recovery. Join Jayne Cudia, MS, RD, CDN, in collaboration with The Dorm, for practical guidance on navigating meals and dining halls, body image conversations, social situations, boundaries, and finding support on campus.
Students
You know yourself best.
Starting a new school year can bring excitement, stress, and a lot of change. If you’re struggling with food, your body, exercise, or your mental health, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength.
You might notice things like
- Eating much more or much less than usual, especially when you’re stressed
- Feeling anxious, down, or preoccupied with your body or weight
- Avoiding meals, snacks, or social events that involve food
- Having trouble focusing, keeping up with schoolwork, or enjoying activities you used to like
- Returning to eating disorder thoughts or behaviors you’ve experienced before
Remember: Eating disorders don’t have a certain “look.” They affect people of every size, race, gender, age, and background. If something doesn’t feel right, you deserve support, even if you’re not sure how to explain what you’re experiencing.
Where to find support
If you’re in middle or high school, consider talking with a school counselor, nurse, teacher, coach, or another trusted adult. If you’re in college, your campus counseling center, student health center, or resident advisor (RA) can help connect you with resources. You don’t have to have all the answers before asking for help.
Resources
Educators
You may notice the first signs.
Teachers and school staff spend hours with students every day, putting you in a unique position to notice when something changes. A caring conversation and an early referral can help connect a student with support before symptoms become more serious.
Possible warning signs
- Difficulty concentrating or a noticeable drop in energy
- Changes in academic performance or classroom participation
- Withdrawing from friends or school activities
- Frequent absences or recurring illness
- Significant changes in mood, behavior, or eating patterns
How you can help
Learn the signs and common myths about eating disorders. Follow your school’s procedures for referring students to counseling or other supports. Respond with empathy if a student shares a concern, and respect their privacy. Help create a classroom environment that discourages weight-based bullying and appearance-focused conversations.
You don’t need to diagnose an eating disorder, simply noticing a change and helping a student connect with support makes an important difference.
Resources
- Information for Educators
- Download Tips for Educators
- Download Educator Toolkit
Created by the University of Vermont’s Weight-Inclusive Nutrition (WIN) Collaborative, this free, evidence-based, eight-lesson curriculum helps high school educators teach nutrition through a weight-inclusive lens.
Parents and Caregivers
Your support matters.
The transition back to school can bring new routines, added responsibilities, and social pressures that affect a child’s recovery, or make eating disorder symptoms more noticeable. Staying connected and checking in regularly can help your child feel supported during these changes.
Ways to support your child
- Notice changes in eating habits, mood, energy, or behavior
- If you’re concerned, bring it up calmly, directly, and without judgment
- Ask your child what support feels most helpful instead of making assumptions
- Help them identify trusted adults at school, such as a counselor, teacher, nurse, or coach
- Stay connected with their treatment team if they’re already receiving care, or seek an evaluation from an eating disorder specialist if you’re noticing concerns for the first time
Working with your child’s school
School accommodations can make recovery more manageable. Depending on your child’s needs, these may include flexibility around meals, excused absences for treatment, modified physical education, nurse support, or academic accommodations. If needed, ask about formal supports such as a 504 Plan or connect with your student’s disability services office in college.
Resources
Coaches and Athletic Trainers
Performance starts with health.
Sports can provide confidence, community, and joy, but they can also bring pressures around performance, weight, and appearance. Because you work closely with athletes, you may notice changes that others don’t.
Possible warning signs
- Increased fatigue, dizziness, or frequent injuries
- Declining performance, endurance, strength, or coordination
- Mood changes, including irritability or withdrawal
- Excessive training outside of required practices
- Ongoing concerns about weight, food, or body shape
How you can help
Talk with athletes privately, respectfully, and without judgment. Encourage evaluation by qualified medical and mental health professionals when concerns arise. Support treatment recommendations and communicate with the care team when appropriate. Foster a team culture that emphasizes health, well-being, and performance, not weight or appearance.
The language coaches use every day can have a lasting impact. Focusing on strength, skill, recovery, and overall health helps create a safer environment for all athletes.
Resources
- Information for Coaches and Athletic Trainers
- Download Tips for Coaches (English)
- Download Coach & Athletic Trainer Toolkit
Concerned About an Eating Disorder?
If you’re worried about yourself or someone you know, NEDA’s free, confidential screening tool can help you understand whether it’s time to seek additional support. Available in English and Spanish.
From the NEDA Blog
More perspectives on back-to-school season, from students, families, and the professionals who support them.
Shareable Graphics
Print-ready and social-ready graphics with quick, practical tips for students, caregivers, coaches, educators, and school staff, good for a locker, a notebook, or your own feed.
Further Resources
A few additional organizations with tools built specifically for the school setting.
StartYourRecovery.org
offers a single source of relatable, reliable information for anyone dealing with substance use issues, at any stage of their recovery journey.
Crisis Text Line
provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention through a community of trained volunteers.
- Mental Health School Supplies
- Teacher Tools for Student Mental Health
- If you are in crisis, text “HOME” to 741-741.
The Clay Center for Young Minds
promotes well-being by reducing, preventing, and de-stigmatizing youth mental health conditions through education.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
empowers and mobilizes students and adult allies to engage in positive change through leadership and smart decision-making.
ASPIRE
works to improve the lives of children and adults affected by PANS, PANDAS, and related encephalopathies.
NAMI
works to educate, support, advocate, listen, and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones.
Mental Health America
advances mental health and well-being through public education, research, advocacy, public policy, and direct service.
Child Mind Institute
transforms the lives of children and families experiencing mental health and learning disorders through science, education, and care.
Get Involved
Bring this conversation into your own school and help build a safer, more supportive environment for every student. NEDA’s Understanding Eating Disorders Presentation and Facilitator Guide is a free slide deck you can use to raise awareness, help students and staff recognize the signs of an eating disorder, and open the door to honest conversations about getting help. It’s a meaningful way to advocate for safer spaces in your school community.
