Learning how to talk to someone with an eating disorder can feel intimidating, especially when you love them and don’t want to make things worse. Parents, partners, siblings, and friends often want the same thing. They want their loved one to feel supported in recovery. But many feel unsure what to say or do. Eating disorders are complex illnesses. They’re hard to fully understand unless you’ve lived through one yourself. Still, you can learn what helps and what hurts. With t

Although I’m a registered dietitian (RD), I’m called a “nutritionist” at least once a week. And while there are important differences between dietitians and nutritionists, I understand why it’s confusing. If you Google search "dietitian vs nutritionist", you see seemingly endless titles for nutrition professionals, from dietitians and nutrition specialists to nutritionists, health coaches, holistic nutritionists, and more. With so many different titles, figuring out which pro

Do you ever feel powerless around food—as though once you start eating, you simply can’t stop—and wonder if a binge eating disorder dietitian could help? Maybe you feel caught in a cycle of bingeing, guilt, restriction, and then bingeing again. If that sounds familiar, you’re far from alone—binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States, yet it remains widely misunderstood. People often assume that binge eating is simply the result

The college years bring a whirlwind of change, growth, and new experiences, and dealing with college eating disorders can be tough. For students recovering from eating disorders, the transition can come with many situations that challenge recovery. In fact, a 2025 study of students at 26 U.S. schools found that 13% of U.S. college students showed signs of an eating disorder, which is about one in 8 students. Eating disorders can affect students in many different ways, and sym

Recovering from anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly life-changing and often life-saving, but it can also be a difficult journey, especially when navigating weight gain after anorexia. Committing to treatment has the power to improve the lives and well-being of both the individual and their family, yet it’s important to recognize the common challenges that may complicate this process. For many, the hardest part of recovery is coping with recovery weight gain. Gaining weight duri

Did you know that obsessive food thoughts around food and body can actually be used to your advantage? One of my clients put it so well when she said it’s like taking “power moves” against that disordered voice. It’s something I learned to do during my own healing process and something I talk about often with my clients. First and foremost, keep in mind that if you're under eating, you are likely to have obsessive food thoughts and food preoccupation, because your body and br

As an eating disorder dietitian, I recognize the benefit of eating disorder meal planning for clients – it helps make the workweek less stressful, it’s economically efficient, and it ensures we eat nutrient-dense meals all week long. This approach to eating disorder meal planning without rigidity can be especially helpful during eating disorder recovery. But is it worth giving up a large chunk of our weekends? My vote’s No. But I also don’t want to take more than one trip to