The Connection Between Anorexia & Genetics 

Don’t get your health advice from diet blogs or celebrity influencers. Instead, talk to your doctor about the weight range considered healthy for someone of your body type and the nutrients you should take. Your diet should include all recommended nutrients, including the calories you need for energy.

Eating disorders often skew a person’s view of what “healthy” is supposed to be. You can establish a baseline weight and diet to fulfill your body’s needs by talking to a doctor. As an added benefit, maintaining healthy body weight and getting proper nutrition carries a variety of other health benefits beyond decreasing your risk of developing an eating disorder. 

This diet doesn’t have to be restrictive; in most cases, it shouldn’t be. Instead, it may be based on general guidelines on the minimum level of nutrients you should take in for your diet to be considered healthy. 

People at risk of developing eating disorders or who have already developed one often “catastrophize” about food, meaning they expect unrealistically bad outcomes from certain dietary choices. For example, they may believe they are at risk of significant weight gain even if they eat significantly below their recommended daily calorie intake. 

If you’re already predisposed to negative thinking about food, avoiding these thoughts isn’t always easy. However, even making an effort to think realistically about the effect food can have, especially the positive effects specific dietary choices can have, may reduce your risk of developing anorexia and similar eating disorders. For example, even occasional “bad” meals, like sugary desserts, are unlikely to affect your health significantly if you generally make an effort to eat a balanced, nutritious diet. 

Similarly, try to think with the same rationality when considering exercise. Exercise in moderation and combined with a good diet is excellent for the body. Still, many people with eating disorders exercise excessively and don’t readjust their diet to account for the energy the body is burning. 

For most people, about 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity is advised about three to five times per week. Too much exercise may signal an underlying mental health condition causing one to push their body beyond what is healthy. 

It may help to read up on anorexia and similar conditions from reputable sources if you think you may be at risk. [5] See a mental health professional if you start noticing some of the symptoms in yourself, even if you still feel you haven’t lost total control. They can talk through your concerns and equip you with tools to better manage unhealthy thoughts about your body, eating, and more.

You can also preemptively talk with a mental health professional if you risk developing an eating disorder. Even for people in good mental health, therapy can benefit and improve their overall quality of life. 

Talking to a therapist about conditions that run in your family can prepare you for potential triggers if these conditions begin to develop for you. These professionals can also direct you to specialists if you show signs of needing more attentive care. Like all mental health disorders, the earlier treatment is sought for eating disorders, the better the long-term outcomes.

Avoid reading and watching content from sources that aren’t well-reputed on the topics of anorexia and other eating disorders. Unfortunately, the internet is full of a significant amount of misinformation and so-called pro-anorexia or pro-ana content. This content can reinforce the toxic mindsets many people with eating disorders develop about food and their bodies. 

When reading about eating disorders, focus on strong academic sources, like government websites and research journals. When you read reputable information, it will not accidentally or intentionally reinforce the negative thinking patterns anorexia, and similar conditions can cause. Stay away from all sites that glorify or otherwise positively focus on unhealthy body perspectives.