Providing Meal Support for Youth with Eating Disorders

Supporting a youth who has an eating disorder can be overwhelming. Meal support is a set of strategies that caregivers can use to help make eating easier for someone recovering from an eating disorder. Structure and predictability and a calm, supportive approach can go a long way towards reducing fear and anxiety associated with eating. If, for example, you were nervous about giving a presentation, it would likely lower your anxiety if you knew that everyone would arrive on time, your computer and slides were set up correctly, your presentation was well prepared, and the audience was receptive. In the same way, good meal planning – knowing what a meal is going to be, when, what the portions will be, and who will be there to help - can lessen fear and anxiety and make it easier for the youth, as well as for the caregivers. This workshop provides some tools and strategies that caregivers can use to make mealtimes go more smoothly, as well as giving some general insight into the treatment of eating disorders.

Tom Bauslaugh, Tom Bauslaugh, M.A. has been working in Mental Health at BC’s Children’s Hospital for 20 years, with the last 11 years spent in the Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program. Currently, Tom is coordinating the family education and support program within the eating disorder program, which aims to increase family involvement in the treatment of eating disorders. He has written and produced an educational video for families, runs weekly educational workshops, a weekly parent support group, and is currently working on another educational video focused on Bulimia Nervosa.

2013-02-26 6:00:00 PM