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How to Support Someone with an Eating Disorder

Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be challenging, yet it is crucial in their journey to recovery. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating are complex mental health conditions that involve unhealthy relationships with food, body image, and self-esteem. Understanding how to approach someone struggling with an eating disorder with empathy, knowledge, and effective strategies can make a significant difference in their healing.

At SunCloud Health, a leader in eating disorder treatment in the Chicago area, we believe that family members, friends, and caregivers play a vital role in providing support. This guide will help you learn how to offer meaningful advice and address your concerns while encouraging professional treatment for those struggling with eating disorders.

Understanding Disordered Eating

Before you can effectively support someone with an eating disorder, it is essential to understand the nature of these conditions. Eating disorders are not just about food or a number on a scale; they are serious psychological conditions that require professional intervention. Common types of eating disorders include:

  1. Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by extreme restriction of food intake, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body perception.
  2. Bulimia Nervosa: Involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives.
  3. Binge-Eating Disorder: Marked by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (either healthy or junk food), often rapidly and to the point of discomfort, accompanied by feelings of shame or guilt.

These disorders often coexist with other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, making treatment a multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive approach.

Recognizing the Signs

The first step in supporting someone with an eating disorder is recognizing the signs. These may vary depending on the type of eating disorder but commonly include:

  • Physical Signs: Significant weight loss or gain, frequent fluctuations in weight, dizziness, fainting, thinning hair, and brittle nails.
  • Behavioral Signs: Avoidance of meals (or stop eating altogether), obsessive rituals around eating, frequent trips to the bathroom after eating, excessive exercising, wearing baggy clothes, and use of diet pills or laxatives.
  • Emotional Signs: Overly focused on food, dieting, or body image, withdrawal from social activities or family members, inability to stay positive, irritability, anxiety, and depression.

If you notice these eating disorder signs in someone close to you, it may be time to offer support and encourage them to seek professional help. SunCloud Health can help individuals find healthier ways to cope and family members better understand a loved one’s feelings.

How to Approach the Conversation

Starting a conversation with someone you suspect has an eating disorder can be daunting. It’s important to approach the topic with sensitivity, care, and without judgment while offering support. Here are some tips for having this difficult conversation when seeking treatment for a friend or family member:

  1. Choose the Right Time and Place: Find a quiet, private setting where you can speak without interruptions. Avoid commenting or bringing up the topic during meals or when emotions are high.
  2. Express Concern, Not Criticism: Focus on expressing your concern for their well-being rather than criticizing their behaviors or making negative comments. Use “I” statements to avoid sounding accusatory, such as, “I’ve noticed that you seem really stressed lately and I’m worried about you.”
  3. Listen and Validate Their Feelings: Allow them to share their feelings and thoughts without interruption. Show empathy and understanding, and avoid dismissing their feelings or offering simple solutions.
  4. Avoid Focusing on Food or Weight: Instead of talking about food, diets, difficult emotions, or personal opinions on what constitutes a healthy weight, emphasize your concern for their overall health and happiness. Eating disorders are about more than just food; they involve deep-seated emotional issues that need to be addressed.
  5. Encourage Professional Help: Gently suggest that they seek help from a professional who specializes in eating disorders. Offer to help them find a treatment provider, such as SunCloud Health, which offers comprehensive care for eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Providing Ongoing Support

Supporting someone with an eating disorder is an ongoing process that requires patience, empathy, and understanding. Here are some ways you can provide continued support:

  1. Educate Yourself: Learn as much as you can about eating disorders, including their causes, symptoms, and treatment options. This knowledge will help you understand what your loved one is going through and how best to support them.
  2. Be Patient and Non-Judgmental: Recovering from an eating disorder is a long and challenging journey that involves setbacks and relapses. Be patient and avoid expressing frustration or disappointment if progress is slow.
  3. Offer Practical Support: Help them with day-to-day activities that may feel overwhelming, such as grocery shopping, cooking, or attending medical appointments. Your support can help reduce their stress and make them feel less isolated.
  4. Encourage Healthy Behaviors: Encourage healthy behaviors without focusing on weight or appearance. Support their efforts to engage in activities that promote physical and mental well-being, such as yoga, meditation, or hobbies that bring them joy.
  5. Avoid Triggering Conversations: Be mindful of your language when discussing a loved one’s eating disorder, and avoid conversations about dieting, weight, or one’s body. Even well-intentioned comments and concerns can be triggering for someone with an eating disorder.
  6. Stay Connected: Regularly check in with them, whether through text, phone calls, or in person. Let them know you are there for them and that they are not alone in their eating disorder struggle.

The Role of Professional Treatment

While support from family and friends is crucial, professional treatment is essential for recovering from an eating disorder. At SunCloud Health, we offer a range of specialized treatment options tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient. Our programs include:

  1. Comprehensive Assessment and Personalized Treatment Plans: Our team conducts thorough assessments to identify the specific needs of each patient, developing personalized treatment plans that address the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of eating disorders.
  2. Individual and Group Therapy: Our therapeutic approach includes evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Family-Based Therapy (FBT). These therapies help patients develop healthier coping mechanisms, improve emotional regulation, and address underlying psychological issues.
  3. Medical and Nutritional Support: Our multidisciplinary team includes medical professionals and registered dietitians who provide medical monitoring and nutritional guidance to ensure that patients receive the care they need to achieve physical recovery.
  4. Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): SunCloud Health offers both PHP and IOP programs that provide structured, supportive environments for patients to work on their recovery and develop strong coping mechanism strategies while maintaining some level of independence.
  5. Family Involvement: We believe that family involvement is critical to the treatment process. Our programs include family therapy and education to help loved ones understand eating disorders and learn how to provide effective support.
  6. Aftercare and Relapse Prevention: Recovery from an eating disorder is a lifelong journey that requires ongoing support. Our aftercare programs and relapse prevention strategies provide patients with the tools they need to maintain their recovery and prevent relapse.

Seeking Professional Care at SunCloud Health

Encouraging your loved one to seek professional help is one of the most important steps you can take. Eating disorders require specialized treatment, and SunCloud Health provides a comprehensive approach that integrates medical, nutritional, and psychological care as well as individual, group, and family therapy.

If you are concerned about a family member or loved one’s eating disorder or know someone struggling with disordered eating, consider reaching out to SunCloud Health. Our team of experienced professionals is here to help, providing compassionate care and evidence-based treatment to support lasting recovery. Together, we can help your loved one take the first step toward a healthier, happier life.

Rachel Collins, LCSW
Site Director of Northbrook PHP and IOP

Rachel Collins, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Northbrook Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for both adolescents and adults. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to complete her master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University. She has since worked in a wide range of settings, including inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, therapeutic group homes, and private practice. Rachel specializes in treating trauma (using Cognitive Processing Therapy) and anxiety, practicing through a relational, compassionate, and client-centered lens. She is passionate about creating a therapeutic space in which clients feel safe and able to explore various parts of themselves with curiosity as opposed to judgement. In addition to her leadership and clinical work, she is passionate about creating art, and learning about the intersection between creativity and mental health.

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW
Site Director, Naperville PHP/IOP (Adolescents & Adults)

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Naperville Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adolescents and adults. She brings extensive experience working with individuals across the lifespan, including adolescents, adults, and geriatric populations, and specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, substance use, family systems, forensic populations, and individuals in crisis.

Kayla has worked in a wide range of clinical and community settings, including community-based interventions, police crisis response, correctional facilities, inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, and with vulnerable and underserved populations. In addition to her clinical and leadership work, she is passionate about providing mental health education and advocacy within the community.

Kayla earned her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from Aurora University and went on to complete her Master’s degree in Forensic Social Work, also at Aurora University. Her clinical approach is evidence-based, compassionate, trauma-informed, and integrative, emphasizing collaboration and individualized care.

Driven by a personal mission to meet individuals where they are, Kayla is committed to helping clients feel safe, supported, and understood. She strives to create a natural and empathetic healing environment while ensuring individuals from all backgrounds and identities know they are not alone and have access to meaningful resources and support.

Elizabeth E. Sita, MD
Medical Director of Adult Services
Dr. Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, is a Board Certified psychiatrist specializing in the care of patients with eating disorders. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago and graduated with Highest Honors. She then earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and was recognized with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. She subsequently completed residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, where she was elected Chief Resident and received the Resident Psychiatrist Leadership & Service Award. Upon completing her training, Dr. Sita came to Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, where she served as Assistant Medical Director of the Center for Eating Disorders and Director of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services before transitioning to lead the new inpatient eating disorder unit as Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago. In these roles, she has cared for a multitude of adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders as well as severe, cooccurring mood, trauma, personality, and substance use disorders. Dr. Sita has been recognized throughout her training and practice for a commitment to excellence in patient care and for her ability to engage patients in their most challenging moments. Her passions include the care of treatment-resistant eating and mood disorders as well as questions of medical capacity and end-of-life decision making. She believes that, first and foremost, human connection is key to mental health and well-being and strives to share this philosophy in each and every patient encounter. She is excited to bring her expertise to SunCloud Health as the Medical Director of Adult Services!   VIDEO: Meet Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, Medical Director of Adult Services  
Lacey Lemke, PsyD
Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Lacey Lemke (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized expertise in the treatment of eating disorders and the practice of medical and health psychology. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology with a Primary Care emphasis at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lemke went on to complete both her predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship through Ascension Health, where she gained advanced training working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors, as well as within pediatric subspecialty settings including endocrinology, neurology, and adolescent medicine.

Dr. Lemke is deeply committed to providing evidence-based, compassionate care and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive treatment. Her professional mission is to support patients in achieving their fullest potential by guiding them to the most appropriate level of care and empowering them to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward improved health and well-being.

VIDEO: 2. Meet Lacey Lemke, PsyD.