Further recommendations

The following text should be taken as recommendations based on experience from work with eating disorder patients. They are meant namely for parents and partners. Their application in a household may be accompanied by patients´ indignation, as they limit options to manipulate food in order to reduce its intake. This is why it is advisable to mutually explain individual steps and try finding an agreement.

1. Do not accept following requirements:

* The patient will eat alone and at other times than rest of family;
* The patient will eat only what she has prepared;
* The patient will cook alone – she may prepare a snack as needed, later another meal;
* The patient will not eat as others unless they eat dietary food;
* She will eat only when she is hungry and what she likes;
* She will not eat with some family member. It often happens that a daughter refuses to dine with her father.
* That others must eat the same portions or larger ones;
* That she will not eat after 18 o´clock.

2. Do not talk into meal eating

We will avoid conflicts and scenes namely in children, if we do not comment on the patient´s behaviour during meals. We better leave the comments or criticism after the meal is finished.

3. Food and weight

In no case we shall recommend connecting food with body weight control by weight watching. Regarding the latter, it shall be done max. twice a week before breakfast in underwear. Such results are at least approximately comparable. A more frequent weight watching usually leads to a higher control over food intake.