For the Supporter

Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder can be overwhelming, but you are not alone. This resource hub will equip you with knowledge, practical responses, and expectations as you walk alongside them in their recovery journey.

Understanding Eating Disorders

What Eating Disorders Are

  • Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening, but treatable illnesses that impact every part of a person – emotionally, cognitively, spiritually, and physically.

  • Eating disorders are often not about food or weight but can develop as a coping mechanism for trauma and/or a variety of other factors.

Eating Disorders Are NOT

  • Just about food or body image

  • Something someone can "snap out of"

  • Lifestyle choices

  • Caused by bad parenting or a lack of faith

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What Your Loved One May Say and How to Respond

“The meal plan is too rigid…”

“Other people are “sicker” than me…”

“I just need to do this on my own…”

As a supporter, you may hear your loved one express the struggle of their eating disorder through statements like those below. Click 'How to Respond' to discover the best ways to navigate these challenging conversations.

Support Group for Family and Friends

Caring for a loved one with an eating disorder can be overwhelming, and you don’t have to walk this journey alone. Our Support Group for Family and Friends is a safe and compassionate space for friends and family members to connect, share experiences, and gain guidance on how to support their loved one while also taking care of themselves. Through open discussions, encouragement, and faith-based support, we hope to equip you with understanding, hope, and practical tools to navigate this journey. You are not alone—we’re here to support you, too.

Recommended Readings

  • Breaking Free From Body Shame

    Dare To Reclaim What God Has Named Good

    Your body is more than its size, its sickness, or its symptoms. You were made for more than a love/hate relationship with your body.

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  • 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder

    Written by therapist, Dr. Jennifer L. Gaudiani, and her former patient-turned-therapist, this book blends personal experience with clinical insight to offer hope, guidance, and motivation for overcoming eating disorders.

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  • Sick Enough

    Sick Enough challenges the belief that eating disorders must be severe to warrant treatment. Dr. Gaudiani provides a patient-centered, science-based guide to medical complications, encouraging proper care, recovery, and rejecting dieting culture.

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  • Life Without Ed

    Life Without Ed reframes eating disorders as a toxic relationship, guiding readers through breaking free with personal insights, practical exercises, and expert advice for lasting recovery.

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  • The Secret Language of Eating Disorders

    Peggy Claude-Pierre debunks misconceptions about eating disorders and presents a groundbreaking path to healing in this insightful and accessible guide.

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  • Father Hunger: Fathers, Daughters and Food

    Dr. Maine explores "Father Hunger," the emotional void left by absent fathers that fuels body image struggles and disordered eating, offering practical solutions for healing and family reconnection.

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  • Goodbye Ed, Hello Me

    In Goodbye Ed, Hello Me, Jenni Schaefer shares how full recovery from an eating disorder goes beyond food and body image, leading to true joy, peace, and self-discovery.

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