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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents How to Support a Loved One with an Eating Disorder • Educate yourself on eating disorders; learn the jargon • Distract your loved one during and after meals to help with anxiety • Learn the differences between facts and myths about weight, nutrition, and exercise • Refrain from telling the person what they should do • Ask what you can do to help • Continue to reach out—individuals with eating disorders may find it hard to socialize and may push people away • Listen openly and reflectively • Be patient and nonjudgmental • Offer to help with practical tasks (laundry, transportation to and from appointments) • Avoid discussions about food, weight, and eating, especially your own habits or those of others • Model a balanced relationship with food, weight, and exercise • Ask how they are feeling • Remember that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint • Focus on the emotional aspects of an eating disorder, not just the physical ones • Encourage the sufferer to follow through with treatment recommendations • Arrange activities that don’t involve food or eating so your loved one can continue to take part • When it doubt, ask. They can’t read your mind, and you can’t read theirs • Validate their feelings and their emotional pain, especially when they share something difficult or reveal that they have kept a secret • Focus on positive personality traits and other qualities that have nothing to do with appearance • Express any concerns that arise • Don’t take their actions personally • Set boundaries to preserve your own emotional well-being Page  | 21