For Parents & Caregivers
It’s not easy to raise kids who feel at home in their bodies. If your child has started dieting, focusing on their weight, or criticizing their body, it can be hard to know what to do. We have trusted resources to help you support your child and encourage a healthy body image.
New Screening Tool!
The Ottawa Disordered Eating Screen is a brief, evidence-informed screening tool designed to help identify early signs of disordered eating and eating disorders in youth. Recognizing concerns early can make a significant difference in outcomes for young people and their families.
Go to screening toolInfosheet:
This evidence-informed infosheet explains how gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health develop, and why supportive environments are important for wellbeing and eating disorder prevention.
Video:
For families: A conversation about eating disorders
Infosheet:
Raising kids with a healthy body image – a guide for parents of young children
Our experts answer your questions
What is disordered eating?
Learn moreHow do I support my child who is struggling with their body image?
Learn moreWhen should I be worried?
Learn moreWhat is resilience – and why does it matter?
Learn moreCan boys and male-identifying people develop eating disorders?
Learn moreHow can I prevent overscheduling and help my child set boundaries?
Learn more
A personal story: How diet culture and perfectionism led to my battle with orthorexia.
I was roughly 10 or 11 when my thoughts about my body and eating habits began to change. I grew very quickly when I was young, I hit puberty much younger than my peers, and I immediately noticed that my body looked different from those around me.
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