Eating & Body Image
16 essays. Start-here picks first, then newest.
Eating disorders do not have a look. They happen in boys and men, in midlife, in athletes, and in bodies of every size. A person can be very sick at a weight that seems fine to everyone around them. These essays are written for the person who is struggling and for the family at the kitchen table. They explain anorexia, atypical anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and muscle dysmorphia in plain words. They cover family-based treatment for teens, levels of care when weekly visits are not enough, what medication can and cannot do, and the questions to ask before starting a weight-loss medicine.
New here? Start with you can be very sick at any weight. If binge eating is the struggle, read why it is not a willpower problem. Parents can begin with the words at your kitchen table, a guide to talking with kids about food, weight, and bodies without blame.
Looking for treatment rather than reading? Adult psychiatric care
All Eating & Body Image essays
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You Can Be Very Sick at Any Weight
September 5, 2026 · 10 min read
Atypical anorexia can cause serious harm without a low body weight. Learn what an assessment considers and how to ask for care.
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Binge Eating Is Not a Willpower Problem
September 7, 2026 · 12 min read
Loss of control, distress, and secrecy around eating deserve care. Learn how BED is assessed, what treatments can help, and how to ask for an appointment.
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The Words at Your Kitchen Table: Talking With Kids About Food, Weight, and Bodies
August 27, 2026 · 13 min read
A non-blaming guide to weight talk, dieting, teasing, praise, family meals, and body image for parents of children ages 9 to 13, with what the evidence does and does not show.
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What Bulimia Costs Before Anyone Notices
September 6, 2026 · 10 min read
Bulimia can be serious before anyone sees a change. Learn what dental and medical symptoms can mean, how treatment helps, and what to say at a visit.
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What Medication Can and Cannot Do
September 4, 2026 · 12 min read
Understand what medicines may help in bulimia, BED, and anorexia, what they cannot replace, and which safety questions to bring to your prescriber.
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When Weekly Visits Are Not Enough
September 3, 2026 · 12 min read
Understand outpatient, day, residential, and hospital care, what to ask before admission, and why California insurance pathways depend on your plan.
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Weight-Loss Medication and the Eating Disorder Nobody Screened For
September 2, 2026 · 12 min read
GLP-1 medicines have valid medical uses, but eating-disorder questions remain. Learn what evidence shows and what eating changes to discuss with a prescriber.
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ADHD, Autism, and When Eating Becomes Hard to Manage
September 1, 2026 · 12 min read
Learn how sensory needs, routines, medication effects, and eating-disorder symptoms can overlap, and which assessment and treatment supports to discuss.
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Boys Get Eating Disorders Too
August 31, 2026 · 10 min read
Boys and men can have eating disorders at any body size. Learn how distress, food rules, exercise, and daily life can guide a request for help.
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Nobody Ages Out of an Eating Disorder
August 30, 2026 · 10 min read
Eating disorders can begin, persist, or return in midlife. Learn what menopause research can explain and how to ask for care that fits adulthood.
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The Athlete Who Is Running on Empty
August 29, 2026 · 10 min read
Good performance does not rule out health risk. Learn how REDs and eating disorders differ, what changes deserve review, and who should guide return to sport.
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“He’s Not Picky. He’s Afraid.”: When Food Avoidance May Be ARFID
August 27, 2026 · 12 min read
ARFID may involve choking fear, texture distress, or low interest in food. Learn the warning signs, safe parent responses, and when eating problems need urgent care.
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Better Isn’t the Same as Recovered: What Recovery Means After Medical Stabilization
August 27, 2026 · 12 min read
Weight gain and stable vital signs matter, but recovery has several parts. Learn what follow-up is watching, what refeeding needs, and when returning symptoms need urgent care.
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“You Didn’t Cause It. You’re Part of the Treatment.”: Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Eating Disorders
August 27, 2026 · 12 min read
Family-based treatment does not blame parents. Learn how FBT works for adolescent anorexia, what each team member does, and when outpatient care is not safe or enough.
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Muscle Dysmorphia
February 23, 2026 · 18 min read
Imagine working out every day. You spend hours at the gym. You eat perfectly. You do everything right. But when you look in the mirror, you still see someone small and weak. No matter how much muscle you build, it never feels like enough.
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EATING DISORDERS 101
February 20, 2026 · 19 min read
Eating disorders are serious, life‑threatening mental illnesses that affect people of all ages, genders, and body sizes, and most individuals with them are not underweight.