Eating disorders are very serious medical and psychological problems that require professional care. They also effectively destroy a person's body, mind, and relationships with family members and friends.

The most difficult thing will be convincing the person to talk things over with a nutritionist or counselor. Nothing will change until the person admits there is a problem and accepts help.

At first the person will deny there is a problem and will feel ashamed about what is really happening. The person is using the eating disorder to protect, hide, comfort, and feel empowered. Entering therapy or treatment will seem like a loss of control. Arriving at a new and healthier perspective is the first challenge the person you care about will face on the road to recovery. Nevertheless, reach out. Gently suggest that there has to be a better way to deal with life than starving, stuffing, or purging. . Expect resistance and denial. Offer your help and support.

Remember that making changes, even minor ones, is hard, and giving up entrenched habits like starving, binge eating, and purging is overwhelming. That is why physicians and mental health therapists need to be involved in the process. Friends and family members, as loving and filled with good intentions as they may be, do not have the training and experience to shepherd a person through the usually lengthy and always hard journey from an eating disorder to wellness.