Overcoming Eating Disorders

HELPING BUILD A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP TO FOOD AND EXERCISE DURING COVID-19

written by Catherine Ruscitti, PsyD CEDS; Clinical Director at the

Eating Recovery Center Houston

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a real and serious effect on our mental health. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges, such as eating disorders, are on the rise. There’s no shame in feeling increased stress, especially because it can come from any number of challenges we’re facing right now. This might include financial strain, social isolation, changing school regulations and schedules, and fear of getting sick.

Even with all the work parents do to shield and protect their kids, and even if kids don’t fully understand all the rapid changes around them, they are still susceptible to feeling that stress as well. 91% of children report they know their parent is stressed, and children who say their parents are always stressed are more likely to report being stressed themselves. Children model their parents’ stress management skills, so healthy coping techniques will promote better well-being for the whole family.

For kids and adults alike, changes in mental health can lead to an altered relationship to food. Some people turn to food in boredom or for comfort, using it to regulate emotions and cope with increased stress. On the flip side, some use strictly monitoring their food intake as a way to cope with anxiety; it can give them a feeling of control when everything else around them feels completely out of control. Additionally, an increased concern around health – and potentially more time to think about it during social isolation – can lead to a hyper focus on weight, which often has a negative impact on body image and self-esteem, especially in the formative years of childhood and adolescence.

It’s important for parents to lead by example. Be aware of modeling a healthy relationship with food, exercise and body image. Make food together as a family, teaching kids about a variety of foods as they help prepare and serve meals. Practice mindful eating, where you connect over food rather than eating while watching TV or doing other tasks. Allow yourself and your kids to enjoy many kinds of food, avoiding the labels of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for any specific foods. And remember that food is fuel that gives us energy to do the things we love most – it’s not the enemy.

“For kids and adults alike, changes in mental health can lead to an altered relationship to food.”

When it comes to exercise, try to think of it as joyful movement. Encourage your kids to participate in physical activities that they enjoy as a way to have fun and feel good. Avoid tying exercise to losing weight, earning food, or punishing yourself. Associating physical activity with fun and feelings of joy and connection help build a healthy relationship to exercise and fitness.

To support and build positive body image, avoid comments about weight – your own and your child’s. An increased focus on weight can have a negative impact on selfesteem and body satisfaction. Instead, focus on gratitude for how resilient our bodies are and what they can do for us.

Given the close relationship of mental health with food and exercise, it’s important to lay the groundwork of learning healthy ways to cope with underlying stress and mental health issues.

Here are a few ways you can help your kids build skills and resilience:

• Increase social connection within pandemic guidelines. Look into physically distant outdoor activities you can do with your kids, and potentially with their friends. Create virtual game nights or video playdates and participate in drive-by birthday celebrations.

• Create routines and structured down time. As much as you can, have regular mealtimes and bedtimes. By implementing structure and predictability, kids know what to expect…and what’s expected of them.

• Practice self-care as a family. This might include taking family walks or bike rides or having at-home movie nights. Carve out quality family time dedicated to fun activities together.

• Practice healthy sleep hygiene. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Turn off all screens at least one hour before bedtime. Create a routine around preparing for bed, which might include bathing, brushing teeth and reading time. Practicing sleep meditations, such as through an app or recording, can also help calm the mind to enhance restful sleep.

• Help the whole family practice stress management by taking rest breaks; practicing mindfulness; taking medications as prescribed; treating physical illness; and talking about emotions. This includes validating your kids’ emotions, with statements like, “I can understand why you might feel frustrated because doing school virtually is really hard, because you miss your friends, and because it’s hard to sit still for so long.” Let them know you understand what they’re going through and that what they’re feeling is okay.

• Practice coping with distress. This can include relaxation techniques like deep breathing or distraction activities like listening to music, reading, playing a game, or playing with something tactile, like silly putty. Encourage kids to get creative by coloring, doing an arts and crafts project, or writing a story. Provide them out outlet for emotional expression, such as journaling, talking it out – or drawing emotions if talking is too difficult. The key to using coping skills is to practice them regularly – especially when distress is lower – so they are easier to use when emotions become too much.

• Connecting with the five senses can also help, especially if you turn it into a game. Have your kids name five things they see that are blue, name four things they can hear, find three things they can touch that have different textures, smell two things that have an aroma, and eat one thing with a strong taste, such as a mint.

• Finally, be sure to practice self-compassion. These are really hard times, with myriad unforeseen challenges. Being hard on yourself is an added layer of stress; be forgiving. And remember, small changes make a big impact. If there’s only one thing that you change but you can do it consistently, you can make a lasting, positive impact for your family.

EATING RECOVERY CENTER HOUSTON

Conveniently located in a vibrant city conducive to the social aspects of eating disorder recovery, the ERC center in Houston, Texas focuses specifically on eating disorder treatment for both adults, adolescents, and children, with a unique, separate Binge Eating Program unique to adults.

7515 S Main St Ste 400 Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-750-9607

www.eatingrecoverycenter.com

Treating: Adult, Child & Adolescent

Level of Care: Intensive Outpatient Partial Hospitalization Virtual Treatment