Family Meals Assist in Treatment of Eating Disorders

Kari Thielke, lead dietician at Rogers Memorial Hospital, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, talks about the importance of family meals in the treatment of eating disorders. According to Thielke, family members find that eating meals together can provide a time to actually listen to one another, a time to bond and create a healthier diet. And by including the whole family in menu planning it gives them a sense of belonging and ownership and younger members may be more willing to try new foods, even making suggestions for fresh vegetables or requesting new favorites.

At Kartini Clinic we could not agree more. Family meals are a cornerstone of treatment, especially for children with eating disorders. Dr. O'Toole's eating disorder blog has mentioned many times in her blog, eating together as a family is not only essential for treatment, but also effective in spotting symptoms of an eating disorder early enough to make interventions far more successful.