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SeasonalBackToSchool

Skills, stories, and other resources to make the back-to-school transition smoother for those in eating disorder recovery.

Back to School Guide

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A new school year is just around the corner which inherently means excitement and nervous jitters for kids and students. And for those in recovery from an eating disorder, the transition may be even more complicated for both the student and parents who may be at a loss for how to offer support for getting back on campus.

“Transitions are hard for everyone,” says Equip therapist Jenna Zimmerman. “They can make us grasp at anything in our control to maintain a sense of security when we are not sure what is coming our way. This can present added vulnerability for children or adolescents that are at risk of developing eating disorder behaviors as they seek to control aspects as the change is happening around them.”

Zimmerman says there are a few distinct ways a new school year may trigger challenges related to body image and eating.

Kids may feel compelled to make an impression on their peers through their appearance, fixating on their body shape or how their clothes fit in comparison to others.

Lunchtime anxiety may prompt them to eat (or not eat) in a certain way if they feel it may help them fit in.

The stress that can accompany all this can also invoke appetite-suppressing tension, reducing a kid’s natural desire to eat.

Because back-to-school season is often characterized by clothes shopping, reuniting with peers, and adapting to new teachers and workloads, stress can be rampant.

“It’s not uncommon for eating disorders to develop from what was initially unintentional food restriction and then snowballs into something very different,” Zimmerman says.

Equip therapist Maddie Friedman shares examples of how these seasonal changes can promote eating disorder behaviors. “For example, changes to clothing size, social comparison, and new stressors can activate underlying mental health conditions or predisposition to EDs and promote maladaptive coping,” she says.

Tips for parents to help their loved ones prepare for a new school year

While every child has unique needs, experts agree that there are some tactics that could help bolster a student’s confidence and support their eating disorder recovery during the particularly tumultuous time of transitioning into a new school year.

. A few weeks before the school year, initiate a frank conversation about the importance of moving from one life stage to the next. “Normalize changes to body shape and size!” Friedman says. “It is entirely appropriate (and expected) for children and adolescents to grow and gain from year to year. But our society feeds us unhealthy messaging about beauty ideals, so openly questioning and investigating these messages early and often can promote acceptance of 

Follow your child’s lead on clothing selection

. While back-to-school shopping has traditionally been considered an important rite of passage into the new school year, shifting the focus away from new clothes may be necessary as a child figures out what they feel comfortable wearing.

“Often parents make a big deal out of the ‘first day’ of school outfits and photos. Maybe downplay that a bit this year and/or follow your kid’s lead on this,” says Equip family mentor Laura Cohen. “If any clothes shopping is being done, do not discuss any sizes or how clothes ‘look’ on your kiddos. Parents have good intentions and may not realize that what they think is a compliment can really trigger their kiddos.”

Friedman adds that parents may want to actively find ways to neutralize the perceived importance of clothing size. “From store to store and brand to brand, sizes are entirely inconsistent and therefore, meaningless!” she says. “The best clothes are the ones that feel good on your body, no matter what the label says. And maybe we cut out those labels because we don't need to know that information anyway!”


. “Seek support from your community to ensure that your family has the necessary supervision and assistance to promote success” Friedman says. “No carer has endless resources, and tapping out can be an essential tool for countering caregiver burnout. Have a teenager at home who may need support with an afterschool snack? IPull in a neighbor or sitter to provide intermediary support.”

Tips for parents to spark conversation with educators

Parents can prepare as much as possible for potential school stressors, but teachers and other school staff will be on the front lines once school is in session. If your child is in recovery or you feel could benefit from an educator who is empathetic and educated on eating disorders and body image struggles, you may want to initiate a discussion with school staff.

Here are some tips for starting those conversations:

“Talking to your child’s teacher is key in terms of arming your child with support during the school day,” Zimmerman says. “Having a dean or school nurse involved is great, but there's no replacement for that person who has eyes on your child all day in the classroom."


. “Because the beginning of the school year is such a hectic time for educators, sending an email and then following up in person or by phone is a great way to present resources and updates about your child,” Zimmerman says. “Having information by email allows your child’s teacher to return to the information when it’s relevant and also when they are most poised to respond and share the information appropriately.”


Talk to educators about the need for excused assignments

. Talking with a child’s teachers ahead of the school year can help ensure a smooth transition back to the classroom, but in some cases, involving higher level administrators may be helpful as well. “For example, you may want to speak to your school’s administration about getting it in writing that your child will be excused from any assignment related to ‘health’ or ‘nutrition,’” Cohen suggests. “These tend to be common in gym and health classes, and often involve keeping a food/meal log or activity log.”


Make sure the treatment team is in the loop

. Even if a child is prepared to return to school or start a new year after treatment, it’s essential for members of the recovery team to remain in the know about ongoing developments. “Talk with your treatment team about your child returning to school and know that they are prepared to advocate on your behalf and support you in obtaining accommodations,” Friedman says.

School's in Session: Supporting a Student with an Eating Disorder

The return to school is never seamless for kids. While there’s sure to be excitement about reuniting with friends and getting new clothes, the stress of new classmates, teachers, and changes in routine can actually be very emotionally taxing for young ones. And for students who’ve gone through puberty or experienced weight fluctuations over the course of the summer, the impending unsolicited commentary will leave them especially vulnerable.

While anyone of any age can be a target for appearance-focused comments, 

, distinguished professor of eating disorders in the Department of Psychiatry of the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says pre-teens are in a particularly tough spot.

“Sixth through eighth graders often experience summer growth and maturation spurts as a matter of course,” Dr. Bulik says. “But because kids may be out of practice when it comes to socializing with other children due to the pandemic, unfiltered comments and a lack of solidarity between students may be more likely.”

In addition to the run-of-the-mill stress around these maturation spurts, some kids may also have to contend with returning to in-person schooling after a period of attending school in a hybrid format, during which growth, maturation, and potential weight changes are more likely to have occurred. All of this can amount to even more stress for returning students.

“As is the case with so many other stressors in our lives, our culture perpetuates the myth that trying to ‘fix’ or ‘change’ our bodies might be the ticket to feeling better and more at ease in this world,” says Equip family mentor, Oona Hanson.

Teachers and other adults can sometimes say the wrong things, too

It’s certainly not just peers who might be delivering uninvited opinions about a student’s physical changes — adults can often be culprits. And even the most well-intentioned comments can leave a lasting mark.

“Teachers need to stifle the urge to comment on how children have changed,” Dr. Bulik says. “There is really no good way to comment on a child or adolescent’s changed appearance. Just focus on how great it is to have them back in the classroom. If you comment on someone’s maturation, they will feel like their pubertal changes are on display. ”

Hanson says she’s most concerned about messaging from academic leaders that may center on “the so-called ‘childhood ob*sity epidemic,’” which she says often dominates the cultural conversation around kids’ health. “Mandated health and nutrition curriculum, cafeteria signage, subtle messages during P.E. class, and even content in word problems or language arts passages can teach kids they should be restricting their foods and trying to control their body size,” she says.

Hanson also points out that all of these real-life pressures only compound the triggering content children and teens are often exposed to on social media. “This is all on top of dangerous ‘what I eat in a day’ posts and weight-loss ‘tips’ from TikTokers and other social media influencers,” she says. “Panic about pandemic weight gain has only added fuel to the fire; these messages hurt all children, but for a child in recovery from an eating disorder, those well-intended recommendations can pose an immediate health risk.”

What parents can do to educate and empower their kids as they return to school

Equip co-founder and chief clinical officer 

, Ph.D., says there are plenty of ways to prepare kids who are returning to school. One strategy is to educate them about cultural norms they may encounter and talk openly with them about what they hear from others outside the home.

“Tell your kids that in many cultures around the world, when you haven’t seen someone in a long time, it is culturally normal to comment on their body: ‘You’ve gotten so tall!’; ‘you got your braces off!’; your face has hair!’” Dr. Parks says. “Ask your kids where they’ve observed this; if your kids respond with silence and an eye-roll, have some answers prepared for them to better understand. Maybe you can point out they heard it from a grandparent they only see annually, or maybe they even heard you do it!”

Dr. Bulik says providing kids with tools and a safe space are essential back-to-school strategies as well. “Unfortunately, kids can be mean and that is just a fact,” she says. “We can arm our children with words. For example, saying out loud, ‘that’s a very hurtful thing to say.’ Or saying, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you, could you please repeat that?’ But hurtful comments can still get under their skin and stick like velcro. Try to help your children feel comfortable sharing mean things other kids say with you, so you can help them process these comments.”

It’s also important to acknowledge when your child may be perpetuating hurtful verbal exchanges, and help them to course-correct. “It’s really hard for us to realize when our kids are the bullies or the ones making the hurtful comments,” Dr. Bulik says. “Of course, you also should be watching how you’re commenting on people you haven’t seen for a long time. Watch out for comments like, ‘wow, she gained/lost weight’ or ‘did you see how gray her hair is?’ If you are making comments or judgments about other people, that becomes a model for your children.”

Hanson says that while it may be tempting for parents to rush in and remedy any (intentional or accidental) bullying that does occur, it may be best to take a less direct approach. “When your child is expressing body dissatisfaction, it’s very tempting to rush in with reassurances, such as ‘no, honey, you’re beautiful,’” she says. This natural and well-meaning response can have unintended consequences: It risks invalidating the child’s experience, it shuts down conversation that might have revealed the emotions underneath the body image concerns, and it ultimately reinforces that physical appearance is of high importance.

What should parents do instead? Hanson suggests taking a breath and leaning into the child’s discomfort. She explains, “You could try saying something like, ‘That sounds like a really painful feeling to have. Can you tell me more?’”

Dr. Bulik agrees and says letting kids experience their feelings is an important part of the growing process. “Sometimes parents want to rush in and fix the negative experiences that their children have had, but sometimes kids don’t want that,” she says. “They just want the opportunity to share what happened and lighten the load a little.”

Dr. Parks suggests asking kids if they’ve ever felt embarrassed or hurt when someone has commented on how their appearance changed.

“If you get a shrug and an ‘I don’t know,’ from your child, be ready with an anecdote from your own life when you felt self-conscious, sad, or uncomfortable when someone commented on your appearance,” she says. “Sometimes the more recent anecdotes actually have more impact; kids still have a hard time imagining us as teenagers! It can also be helpful to tell them about how 

 have commented on others’ appearances, and while it was well-intentioned, you can see how you may have made the person uncomfortable, and you’re trying to stop making unsolicited comments on other people’s bodies.”

Dr. Parks offers an example from her own life that drives home the importance of why parents might want to consider preparing their children for unsolicited physical commentary: “My 9-year-old son, in a rare moment of vulnerability, told me that he didn’t like his stomach fat, and shared that he’d heard that cold showers may burn fat,” she says. “In a household where a parent preaches body neutrality, that all foods are good foods, and health at every size, children can and will still have negative inner commentary about their physical appearance. I asked my son, ‘has anyone ever said anything about your body that made you feel bad?’ He shook his head no. Then I asked, ‘have 

 ever said anything about your body that made you feel bad?’ And this time he nodded and said, ‘sometimes.’”

In light of this anecdote, Dr. Parks notes that kids don’t necessarily need outside voices to amplify an already-thriving inner bully. “As you send your children back to school, acknowledge to them that you too have an inner critic that tells you that other parents are cleaner, more organized, and never late, and also tells you that you need to lose weight, you have too many wrinkles, and your lips get too thin when you smile. Show your children that everyone has an inner critic and that they can and should fight back, just like you do,” she says.

“As with so many things in parenting, what we do is sometimes more powerful than what we say,” Hanson says. “Modeling body acceptance can be a powerful protective factor for our kids. We can do this in a number of ways: Not weighing ourselves, nourishing ourselves, and moving our bodies in ways that feel good, matter-of-factly getting clothes in a larger size if our body has changed, and not letting appearance concerns prevent us from engaging in activities.”

There is also immense power in helping children reappraise what merits value in this world. “Make sure you praise them for who they are and the values and skills they have rather than how they look,” Bulik says. “Teach them how to value and compliment those things in others. Talking about both positive and negative experiences of the day is still an important touchstone of family life.”

How To Support Kids Facing Unwanted Back-to-School Comments About Their Appearance

Now that a new school year is officially in full swing, parents 

 for conversations around food, body image, and weight that could potentially have a negative effect on their child in the classroom or on campus. But one topic that is often overlooked for young students is exercise. While 

 can play important roles in a student’s identity and wellbeing, the reality remains that traditional assessments of fitness and wellness can be incredibly outdated and harmful to someone in recovery or at risk for developing an eating disorder.

“Moving our bodies is wonderful for a myriad of reasons — however society’s recommendations for exercise are usually based in minutes daily and a fear-based approach that stigmatizes larger body sizes,” says Equip registered dietitian Erin Reeves. “It’s important to focus on helping kids find movement they like — especially through non-traditional sports — to help them find ways they can move that go beyond weight, calorie burn, and ‘health’ as reasons for moving,such as improved mood and better concentration for school work.”

The problem is that many academic institutions haven’t caught up to a modern approach to movement and are still measuring physical “success” by outdated, standardized tests, often souring young people’s relationship with exercise. Until 2013, many students had to participate in the "Presidential Fitness Test" which was designed to "capture best performance at core strength, aerobic capacity, upper-body strength, speed and agility, and flexibility." Now, many kids have to take the 

, "a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues.” Additionally, many coaches may not have up-to-date or accurate information on eating disorders and lack the education and training to recognize the signs of problematic behavior.

“Physical education in the U.S. has traditionally placed too much emphasis on factors that are largely out of the student’s control, like body mass index (BMI),” says Equip’s VP of Medical Affairs, Katherine Hill, MD. “Many PE teachers and coaches are surprised to learn that BMI doesn’t correlate very well with physical fitness or athletic performance. In addition to being a poor correlate of health and fitness, measuring BMI in a public setting like school can be traumatic and triggering. Some schools publically weigh children and compute their BMI in front of their classmates. Height and weight measurements should be considered sensitive health information, and should be reserved for private settings like medical visits with a pediatrician.”

Whether you’re a parent, coach, or faculty member who wants to know how you can encourage and cultivate a supportive, non-judgmental environment for students in relation to movement, here’s what you need to know.

The warning signs of an Eating Disorder every parent, P.E. teacher, and coach should be aware of

While many people are familiar with the common food-based

, few are as well-versed in the signs of a problematic relationship with exercise. Equip therapist Kelsey Hoeper, LPC, NCC, CT, who was an athlete for most of her life, says that while her experience around movement was largely positive, in hindsight, she can see how many of the messages she absorbed may have played a part in the development of disordered eating.

“A lot of us are familiar with those go-to motivational statements coaches often preach to their athletes like ‘food is fuel,’” she says. “That mantra, and ones similar to it, can imply that food is only meant to help us achieve those athletic goals, instead of viewing food items as something for the sake of enjoyment and nothing more. When so much emphasis is put on nutrition, macros and micros, athletes may interpret that as them needing to 100 percent control their bodies, and if they can’t, then they can’t trust their bodies.”

Given the normalization and prevalence of these messages, the

 warning signs of problematic or excessive exercise

 can be tough to spot, because they can resemble the actions of a “dedicated” athlete. But according to Hoeper, there are some telltale signs of a serious issue that parents, teachers, and coaches should know:

Body checking (constantly adjusting sports clothing, swimsuits, etc.)

Eating only foods they deem “healthy” (e.g. salads, protein bars and shakes)

Not eating with the team during team dinners/trips

Excessive exercise (e.g. running an extra mile after practice ends)

“Compulsive exercise is a common warning sign of an eating disorder,” Hill says. “If a student is exercising multiple hours a day, never taking a day off even when they’re sick, tired, or injured, or performing ‘extra’ workouts in addition to team workouts, these might be red flags for an eating disorder..”

What you need to know about school fitness tests

While standardized fitness tests have changed over the years, the notion of “testing” fitness in a one-size-fits-all way doesn’t sit right with many experts and individuals who have lived through the realities of an eating disorder.

“Interestingly enough, discussion of the PACER Test recently came up in conversation between my college-age daughter and her best friend,” says Equip family mentor Kristi Humston. “While the intentions of those who developed this test may (or may not) have been well-intended and my daughter and her friend are now able to laugh about their shared experiences of anxiety and ‘cramming’ to do well, the sad reality is that one walked away believing she was an athlete and the other feeling humiliated in front of her peers. Neither was an accurate measure of true fitness nor was it an indication of the incredible young women both continue to become today.”

Hill says that overall, standardized testing for physical fitness in schools can be harmful in many ways, from triggering eating disorders to creating a lifelong aversion to exercise. “And often, a student’s grade can be negatively affected if they are not naturally athletic,” she says. “Basing a student’s grade on standardized fitness tests or how fast they can run a mile can be humiliating for some and create fear around exercise. Student’s grades should instead be based upon factors like work ethic, having a great attitude, and being a team player.”

 can often be very achievement-focused, Reeves agrees that testing can be extremely activating for an eating disorder and should be explored with caution. Luckily, there are ways to opt out of these scenarios. If parents feel that the mandatory tests may be detrimental to their loved one, they have the right to discuss the possibility of having their child excused. “Your health care provider can ensure you have the proper documentation to receive accommodations for your child. Understanding the curriculum and requirements can be extremely helpful in helping your child feel included without being triggered,” Reeve says.

Is P.E. class okay for someone with an eating disorder?

According to experts, movement and exercise is not always off the table for those in recovery from or at risk for an eating disorder (as long as they are medically stable and approved by their physician to participate). “When done properly, PE can be a therapeutic way to reintroduce activity in a supervised environment,” Hill says. “For some patients with eating disorders, getting back to PE can be motivating and help encourage meal completion. For these students, I recommend a gradual return to full activity.”

Hill says the ideal PE course helps students learn that movement — when performed in a sustainable way and for the right reasons — can be immensely beneficial for physical and mental health. “And that there are so many different ways to learn how to move your body — there is truly something for everyone when it comes to physical activity,” she says. “Exercise can and should boost self-esteem, lift mood, improve sleep quality, and relieve stress. But unfortunately, for many, PE does not achieve this mission.”

For those with active eating disorder symptoms, participating in PE or other activity-based extracurriculars can potentially do more harm than good. “If the PE course requires weights to be taken or discusses topics like dieting, ob*sity, or weight loss, students or their families should speak to their medical provider to get a medical exemption from the course,” Hill says.

Hill also adds that the goal of physical education should not be to shame kids who perform “poorly” on fitness tests or have BMIs in the “red zone” (something largely based on genetics and external factors outside the student’s control anyway). The mission instead should be to instill a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and movement for all students, not just athletes.

What can families do to minimize the potential risks of harmful messages around exercise?

Given the prevalence of fitness tests and traditional methods of physical education in schools, what can parents do to ensure their child isn’t exposed to toxic diet culture rhetoric or harmful messages around exercise? Reeves says initiating a conversation with school faculty can be an important starting point for ensuring the academic environment is as safe and supportive for their child as possible when it comes to eating disorder recovery or prevention.

“Talk to your school, coaches, and PE teachers,” Reeves says. “Get a feel for their outlook and bias towards movement, weight, and nutrition. Their personal views will largely shape how the programs are run.”

Hill also encourages parents of kids with eating disorders to help educate PE teachers and coaches on activities or messages that might be triggering. “Chances are your child is not the first nor last kid with an ED that will be in that class, and chances are also good that your child’s PE teacher has not received a reputable education on eating disorders either,” she says.

From Fitness Tests to PE: What Every Parent, Educator, and Coach Needs to Know About Eating Disorders

Over the past few years, so much has changed about the way elementary, middle, and high school classes operate, and in so many ways, these shifts have allowed for more culturally sensitive and compassionate learning experiences. But there are still a lot of lessons to be learned about the most helpful ways to discuss eating disorders, weight, nutrition, and well-being in a classroom setting.

There’s no handbook outlining the appropriate ways to address these issues, and especially given that most people are inundated by diet culture in our society, the risk of disseminating harmful, triggering, or inaccurate information is real. Luckily, understanding some key concepts of eating disorders and body image can help maximize the potential for creating a supportive, empathetic learning environment.

“The number one thing educators must do is ensure their classroom and curriculum is weight neutral and not weight stigmatizing,” says Equip Director of Lived Experience and former educators, JD Ouellette. “I encourage health educators to lean into the research about what actually leads to improved lifetime health for their students versus what ‘feels’ like it should work. Educators should not engage in diet talk in front of students — we are powerful role models and we know diets are harmful and set kids up for the triggering of eating disorders and/or weight cycling.”

While conversations of weight, food, and exercise can crop up in almost any classroom context, these discussions are often likely to arise in physical education and health classes. Given that many textbooks and class planning information may be outdated, educators may need to find ways to get up to speed on the most helpful educational tactics.

“K-12 nutrition curriculum tends to focus on abstract concepts, numbers, and rules or restrictions around food,” says Equip Family Mentor and former educator Oona Hanson. “Health curriculum is also heavily influenced by beliefs and messages around food and thinness can be harmful to students. So what seems like a standard lesson on the risk of having, say, ‘more than X grams of sugar per day’ can end up being harmful to a student's health.”

It’s important to know that while educators bear the responsibility of developing accurate and sensitive subject matter, there is a lot of unlearning that our entire society has to do when it comes to eating disorders and health myths. “It's not our fault as teachers that our knowledge about eating disorders is outdated, and there are many ways we can send messages that are damaging, even when our intent is good,” Ouellette says, noting some pervasive myths, like the notion that only thin, affluent white girls get eating disorders. “Be sure you are clear that eating disorders happen in all demographics.”

There are plenty of other specific, actionable ways educators can ensure their students feel heard, seen, and understood — and that they’re real, up-to-date information.

How to teach constructive, accurate eating disorder and health education

According to Equip Peer Mentor Makailah Dowell, one of the most important steps educators can take in spreading accurate, helpful information about eating disorders is to do a deep dive on HAES, the 

 framework, and learn the facts about what “health” really means.“HAES has provided many resources and evidence to support constructive dialogue in the classroom,” Dowell says. “It’s not only a facilitator to body positive conversations, but can open up the world of fat activism and communities that children are unaware of. I would also suggest adding in body gratitude segments of the day, as this can create consistency in the classroom and create a positive and open space.”

In addition to educators expanding their personal knowledge of HAES, experts have other recommendations for leading constructive conversations in the classroom:

Frame exercise as a positive activity for 

“Focus on how joyful it is to move our bodies and encourage kids to find the movement that works for them and do it often because it makes them happy, versus promoting strict exercise routines meant to control body size,” Ouellette says. “Normalize and promote the message that of course they will continue to gain weight into adulthood as their bodies change and grow and prepare them for their adult lives.”

. “There has been an elongated discussion about certain foods being ‘bad’ and others being ‘good,’” Dowell says. “There should never be ‘good’ or ‘bad' foods, as food is nutrition and fuel.”

Focus on other aspects of “healthy eating” that have nothing to do with calories or fat grams. 

“Help them learn skills surrounding food without the focus being on 

 food they are eating,” says Equip Registered Dietitian Erin Reeves. “These skills will truly help them into adulthood. This could include learning the different foods in different food groups to build more variety, studying foods from different cultures, learning how to prepare basic meals or snacks or how to make a grocery list for a week’s worth of food.”

How to handle a scenario in which a student may have an eating disorder

Arguably one of the toughest parts of being an educator is 

knowing when to approach a student about a potentially problematic situation

 or even escalate the issue. If a teacher suspects a child is exhibiting disordered eating behaviors or developing an obsession with food, exercise, or weight, it can be difficult to know if and when it’s appropriate to reach out to family. The bottom line is that eating disorders are life-threatening, and intervening early could make all the difference.

Ouellette offers a few examples of how an educator might initiate the conversation:

“I notice you/your child is not their usual sparkly self in class. I am hoping you can share with me what's going on so I can best support you”

“I notice you/your child doesn’t seem like themselves lately and I've spoken to their other teachers and we have all noticed you using the bathroom every class period—can you tell me about that?”

“I see you/your child struggling with assignments that used to come easily—I know that is something that can happen when bodies and brains don't get enough fuel. Can we talk about this?"

“Do remember that just because a student or family denies an issue, doesn't mean it's not there,” Ouellette adds. “Lack of education about eating disorders and a symptom called anosognosia (lack of insight into your own illness) make it common for young people to genuinely not be aware of what is happening. Document your observations and discussions, move forward with your campus protocols for health concerns, and remember that family are almost always the most important people to include and offer resources to.”

Familiarizing yourself with information that can be helpful in these scenarios, including Equip’s 

 is also important. A few other resources advocates recommend for educators include:

National Eating Disorder Association's Toolkit for Educators

Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Rech

What Every Educator Needs to Know For Talking to Students About Weight, Health, and Eating Disorders

When journalist, anti-diet registered dietitian, and certified intuitive eating counselor 

, she looked no further than her own complicated health journey for inspiration. “This book is deeply personal to me, as someone with a whole host of chronic health conditions that wellness culture constantly pushes me to ‘fix’ with food, supplements, and various alternative practices that I’ve come to realize are at best unproven and often downright dangerous,” the 

 host wrote in a recent newsletter. But based on her own personal experience and scores of interviews with other health seekers, Harrison ultimately concluded that “wellness practices often cause more damage than the conditions they’re meant to prevent or cure and the conventional approaches they’re intended to replace.”

 certainly seems to be built on dubious claims and plenty of phony promises. At the core of all this is the troubling definition of “wellness” in our current social media-obsessed world, a definition that keeps millions on a constant and impossible quest for “better health” and seems to be making us anything but well. And for people vulnerable to or in recovery from eating disorders, this misinformation and false hope can be particularly damaging.

What is “wellness” anyway? And what is “wellness culture”?

“Wellness” is one of those words we hear so often that we may not even realize it’s been co-opted and redefined by a variety of industries. While the 

 alludes to “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal,” 

 define “wellness culture” as “a set of values that equates wellness with moral goodness, and posits certain behaviors — and a certain type of body — as the path to achieving that supposed rectitude.” In other words, “wellness culture” adopts many of the tenets of thin-worshiping “

” elevates “natural” healing over conventional medicine, and emphasizes individual choice and responsibility over social determinants of health. This overall approach often leads to the cultural appropriation of certain practices, favors anecdotal evidence over scientific fact, and places blame on individual people rather than systemic issues.

“Wellness culture as we are sold it today is the idea that we are solely responsible for and able to significantly change our health, and that pursuit of health through rigorous focus on diet and exercise confers moral superiority to those who pursue it,” says Equip Director of Lived Experience JD Ouellette. “There is a lot of judgment of others in wellness culture, and wellness culture rarely acknowledges that it requires a lot of money and privilege to meet the standards and obligations it has defined. Thinness is a primary focus in wellness culture.”

Like Ouellette, many anti-diet advocates consider there to be serious dissonance between the basic definition of “wellness” and the way “wellness culture” has interpreted the term. “True wellness culture to me would be acknowledging people come in all shapes, sizes, interests, ability levels, and that we cannot ‘just’ overcome genetics and environmental influences through strict diet and exercise — even if we want to,’” Ouellette says. “Wellness would include satisfaction with oneself and life and community ties and intellectual endeavors and pursuit of hobbies. It would prioritize rest and connection-building along with eating and moving joyfully. It would have absolutely nothing to do with body size.”

How has social media impacted the rise of wellness culture?

While wellness culture predates the existence of social media, the proliferation of apps like Instagram have certainly spread the ethos of the modern movement like wildfire. From celebrities endorsing diet supplements to influencers recommending questionable workout regimens, social media is rife with problematic examples of “wellness” that many experts say are simply thinly veiled versions of diet culture.

“Social media tends to present wellness culture as an approach to a ‘healthier’ lifestyle without the ‘diet’ word attached to it,” says Equip Registered Dietitian Gabriela Cohen, MS, RD, LDN. “However, if you consider the word ‘diet’ to include any form of restriction and rigid rules, dieting is all over this new wellness culture in my opinion.”

Cohen points to a few specific examples of the blurred line between dieting and wellness, including the promotion of fasting, the moralization of foods (which she says inherently ends up moralizing the individuals eating or not eating these foods), and putting certain foods (example: celery juice) on a pedestal. “It’s clear that restrictive diets don't work, and moreover, the long-term harmful effects are both physical and mental,” she says. “But we have to always remember that the diet industry is worth billions of dollars, so what wellness culture is doing is shifting the vocabulary to keep the business going.”

Equip Regional Therapy Manager Kristen Nichols says the social media influencers at the center of modern wellness culture often have body types that are considered “socially acceptable” and “desirable,” which can have an impact on consumers. “These wellness influencers are often depicted engaging in behaviors, such as starting their day with meditation or drinking their favorite green juice,” Nichols says. “Through these portrayals, wellness is equated with moral goodness and an aspirational set of values is born.”

Just as diet culture can invoke feelings of guilt and shame in those who interpret their lack of weight loss as a “failure” (when in reality, diets themselves are 

), wellness culture can prompt the same shame response in hopeful followers. “Wellness culture is incredibly privileged and assumes everyone has the time and resources to meditate, journal, do yoga, make green juice, cook every meal from scratch, get eight hours of sleep, go to therapy, spend time outdoors, etc. daily,” Nichols says. “This is just not realistic or achievable for the vast majority of people. But nowhere in wellness culture is this unrealistic expectation acknowledged, leading, once again, to the idea that the individual has failed when they can’t live up to this ideal.” (Check out this guide on 

how to protect your kids from social media

How “wellness” culture relates to disordered eating

Nichols doesn’t just have clinical experience with the problematic side of wellness; she’s witnessed the negative effects of it firsthand. “Unfortunately, I can think of countless examples of clients, friends, and family members who have fallen victim to wellness culture at one point or another,” Nichols says. “One of the most prominent examples of this is a good friend who is convinced that doing Crossfit and altering her diet will be the answer to all of her concerns in life. After joining a costly Crossfit gym, my friend went on to try one fad diet after another because someone at her gym had recommended it to her.”

While Nichols says the intention behind these diets was never to lose weight, her friend was told these restrictive food plans would help her cultivate a “health-centric” lifestyle. “I watched my friend beat herself up for not following the diets to a T or missing a day at the gym,” she says. “It made me wonder how much this pursuit of health and wellness was actually worsening my friend’s mental health and wellbeing—the exact opposite of what she hoped to achieve in the first place. With her, there was no reasoning; the ideal of being the perfect Crossfitter and subscribing to this particular brand of wellness culture was all that mattered.”

Cohen says that—just like diet culture—wellness culture lures individuals with the promise of a fresh start that will transform their bodies and their lives. “And it’s even more convincing because it’s promoted as a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix,” she says. “The problem with this lifestyle change is that it is still based on the principle of you needing to change something—whether it’s your eating habits, body size, muscle tone, skin—because you’re not fine the way you are, or you're doing something you shouldn’t. This often leads to increased anxiety and body image struggles, and the feelings of defeat when you slip up or are not successful in maintaining this lifestyle change. These same feelings are ones that often lead to cycles of restricting food. We could say that wellness culture is a slippery slope to diet culture, which is a slippery slope to 

What to watch out for when it comes to wellness culture

While “wellness” itself certainly isn’t an inherently bad state of being to strive for, it’s important to know how to differentiate between truly healthy behaviors and problematic ones. “There are many wellness practices that can enhance an individual’s emotional, physical, or spiritual health on a standalone basis,” Nichols says. “For anyone intrigued by the many offerings of wellness culture, there are several ways to be a mindful consumer.”

Understand your intentions. Nichols first recommends anyone setting health goals to check in with themselves and get clear on what they are hoping to get out of adopting a certain wellness practice. “Keep an eye out for magical thinking or unrealistic expectations,” she says.

Have realistic expectations. She also encourages individuals to do their research to ensure their expectations are aligned with reality. “If you’re hoping to achieve a certain benefit, make sure you understand how often you need to practice a certain behavior in order to achieve your desired result,” she says. “Meditation is a great example: most people require regular, sustained practice before they’re able to embody the stereotypical image of someone sitting cross legged and serene.”

Don’t expect “perfection.” Lastly, Nichols adds that it’s essential to normalize fallibility in the pursuit of well-being. “Many people decide to try out a new practice and decide they either don’t find it useful or enjoyable or they don’t have the time or energy to make it a regular part of their life,” she says. “It’s normal to fall in and out of habits given the different seasons of our lives. Discontinuing a practice doesn't make anyone a failure, it makes them self-aware. Know that there is no moral superiority connected to forcing yourself to remain tethered to a practice that’s not serving you.”

Have some healthy cynicism. Cohen believes it’s also essential for consumers to keep in mind that “wellness” means big business to influencers and other supposed health advocates pushing products. Rather than investing full trust into a stranger encouraging restrictive eating habits or particular workouts, tune inward and educate yourself on the true facts of well-being. “Focus more on what you can add, rather than what you can take away,” Cohen says. “Think about your hydration, your sleep, your anxiety levels. And always remember there is no need to change anything — you are more than fine the way you are. Do the work and define what being ‘well’ and ‘healthy’ means to you, taking into account that there are more aspects to health besides your food intake and the way you move your body.”

Helpful resources to navigate the world of “wellness”

Even with all these tips in mind, the wellness world can be completely confusing—particularly when it comes to weeding out diet culture rhetoric or disordered eating messages. Ouellette, Nichols, and Cohen have compiled some of their favorite resources below to help separate fact from fiction when it comes to “wellness”:

by Harrison will be published in April 2023)

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings

Zeynep Demirelli, MSc., @realistic.body.therapist

Sarah Dosanjh MSc CTA MBACP, @the_binge_eating_therapist

Colleen Werner, LPC-MHSP(temp), @colleenmwerner

Alissa Rumsey MS, RD, CSCS, @alissarumseyrd

Anna Sweeney MS, RDN, CEDS-S, @dietitiananna

Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018 Jan;102(1):183-197. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012. PMID: 29156185; PMCID: PMC5764193.

Is Wellness Culture Making Us Unwell? How Influencers, Marketers & Celebrities May Promote Disordered Eating 

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