It is very common for girls in middle school and high school to experience body issues. There is a possibility that one of your friends may say that she’s fat all the time, be judgmental about other students’ weight, exercise too frequently, and even admit to not eating or making herself vomit. These are all signs of anorexia and bulimia, which are two serious eating disorders. As insignificant as eating disorders may seem, it is important to remember that they can be very hazardous to your teen friend’s health and even life threatening. Here are some tips on what to do when a friend has an eating disorder.
Talk to Your Friend About Their Eating Disorder
The first thing that you will want to do is talk to your friend. Let her know that you have noticed signs of an eating disorder. It is important to be very sweet and kind about this. Expect your friend to be upset after you have talked to her about it. Although it may seem like an easy topic to tackle, many people with eating disorders will become offended easily because they feel threatened by the idea of someone else knowing. Many may even be in denial to themselves about their eating disorders. Just because your friend denies having an eating disorder doesn’t mean she doesn’t actually have one.
Let Someone Else Know About the Eating Disorder
After you talk to your friend about her eating disorder, the best thing that you can do is talk to someone else who you trust. Letting your parent know about the eating disorder can be a good idea because although your friend may be upset with you for telling, you are not the one who is going to take other action. Other options include letting a teacher or guidance counselor know about the problem. Be sure to ask the teacher or guidance counselor to keep it confidential. If you are on a team with your friend, letting the coach know about the problem can also be a good idea. Although it’s probably not the best idea if you do not want your friend knowing that you told someone, another option would be for you to tell her parents.
The idea of betraying a friend often prevents many from letting others know about an eating disorder. However, it is important to keep in mind that telling a parent, teacher, guidance counselor, or coach is really the best thing to do if your friend has an eating disorder. It may seem as though the worst case scenario would be for your friend to mad at you if they find out. Keep in mind that an even worse case scenario would actually be to not tell anyone, and allow your friend’s health to fail. Eating disorders can be fatal if the person who has one does not seek help. While you may temporarily lose a friend by telling someone about your friend’s eating disorder, you could permanently lose one if you do not tell anyone about the problem.
