How you can help

• Have conversations with them about what you can do

• Work to educate yourself

• try to be sympathetic but understand that you do not get it

• Do not talk about calories, diets, or people's bodies (even in a positive way)

• Offer to play games or talk during meals

• Make their meals for them but tell them you are going to first

• Celebrate the small victories

• Do not pressure them to talk

• Be open to their needs

• If you so much as think someone has an eating disorder, please get them help as soon as you can

• Remember it is always better to listen to the person with the disorder than think you know all of it even if you have learned all there is to learn

• If the person is under 18 (in the United States at least) try to reach out to the therapist and see what you can do to help

• Try to learn about what their triggers are

• I know they will most likely say some mean things to you so try to remind yourself that it is the disorder speaking, not them

• Take care of yourself

• Just because you are a part of their "inner circle" does not mean that you have the right to tell anyone you want about it, even though you need your own support make sure to talk to them about it first

• Remind them it is not their fault

I know these tips are vague but everyone struggles with different things so please try to understand what helps one person might not help another and vice versa

• DO NOT talk about people's bodies or food

• Try to compliment people for things other than their body ( for example "I love your outfit"

• Do not ask people losing weight for dieting advice

• If someone tells you they have an eating disorder, ask how you can help

• Do not talk about your body or the amount of food you are eating

• Do not call food healthy or unhealthy

• Understand that "healthy" looks different to everyone and there is not just one thing that can determine someone's weight

• Try not to give into diet culture or the body positivity movement

• Do not talk about the food you are eating while you are eating with other people, you never know if someone has an Eating disorder

• Do not talk bad about your body

• If you know someone is losing weight do not tell them that they look good, this could fuel an eating disorder

• Always listen to people's stories when they tell you them and try not to judge

• Remember eating disorders do not have a "look"

• Do not compare people's eating disorders 

• If you are a teacher or leading a meeting, give a warning if there will be food/food talk/ body image talk

• Continue to learn as much as you can but remember you will never know it all unless you have gone through it

• Try to limit how you talk about diet culture-related things.

• Just because someone told you any part of their story, that does not mean you have the right to tell others that story