by Edward F. Group III, D.C., Ph.D, N.D.,CCN 

The best lifestyle change you can do is by having healthy attitudes toward food and your body. This can help prevent you from developing an eating disorder.

Steps to help you Develop a Healthy Attitude

Maintain a Healthful Weight and Body Image

Work on developing and maintaining a healthful and realistic body image and weight. During the times when you feel fat, ask yourself if your life would really be much different if you were underweight. Would you automatically be more successful, popular, and loved? Realize that the things you want to achieve in life have little to do with being underweight and more to do with setting and achieving realistic goals. Remember that being thin does not equal being happy.

Maintain a Rational Approach to Dieting, Food, and Exercise

Do not diet, even if you need to lose some weight. Rather, develop a meal plan that gives you adequate nutrition for health and normal growth. You can work toward a healthful weight by limiting your intake of high fat foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates and eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and adequate protein. If you need help planning your diet, a registered dietitian or nutritionist is the best source for advice. Also, make sure you get regular, but not excessive, exercise. This can help you maintain a healthful weight. Thirty to 60 minutes of exercise three to five days a week is sufficient.

Know and Avoid Triggers

Certain situations can trigger disordered eating behavior. Do not let yourself get too hungry and don’t deprive yourself of good-tasting food. Feelings of deprivation can lead to cravings and food binges. If you crave a certain high fat, high-calorie food, it’s okay to have it occasionally.

There are probably certain foods and situations that tempt you to overeat. Keep these foods out of the house and stay away from tempting situations as much as possible. If you tend to overeat at buffets, for example, stay away from them. Emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and even happiness, can be powerful triggers for food binges. Pay attention to your feelings and how you may turn to food to deal with them. Find alternative ways of dealing with strong emotions, such as talking with a friend or therapist or writing in a journal.

Work on Building a Meaningful, Fulfilling, and Satisfying Life

Rather than focusing on food and weight for fulfillment, spend time building a meaningful, satisfying life. This involves developing feelings of competence and self-esteem by discovering and utilizing your talents. Work on appreciating and enjoying your abilities without having to do everything perfectly. Develop some hobbies and do things that are fun and pleasurable. Join some clubs and groups with people who share common interests and work on developing healthy relationships.

Develop Effective Coping Skills

Stressful life events can trigger eating disorders in susceptible people or trigger a relapse in those who have recovered. You can control self-induced stress by developing a more realistic self-image and expectations. This can be achieved through counseling and learning how to take charge of the things you can control, such as your attitude and ability to make healthy choices.

Various relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, progressive relaxation, yoga, and biofeedback, can also help you cope with stress. These techniques increase your awareness of tension in your body and help release it through exercises that quiet your mind and relax your muscles. Regular pleasurable activities can help you relieve stress as well.

Stress

We've all felt it at one time or another. But many people feel stress often; some even feel it as a part of their daily lives. Stress has been implicated as a possible cause of—or at least exacerbating some of the symptoms of—numerous conditions, including heart disease, stroke, immune disorders, gastrointestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, eating problems, diabetes, sleep disturbances, and sexual reproduction dysfunction. Learning to reduce your stress levels can help you live happier, healthier, and maybe even longer.

Tips for Reducing or Controlling Stress

recommended by The National Mental Health Association

Be realistic
Don't take on everything; learn to say no. Set realistic goals for yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try eliminating an activity that is not absolutely necessary. Ask yourself, "What really needs to be done? Is the deadline realistic?" No one is perfect, so do not expect perfection from yourself or others. And ask for help if you need it.

Meditate
It only takes about 10–20 minutes to get a benefit from meditating. These few moments of quiet reflection may bring relief from stress as well as increase your tolerance to it. And it is simple to do: sit quietly, listen to peaceful music, relax, and try and think of pleasant things or think of nothing.
Take one thing at a time. When you start to feel overwhelmed, try taking one task at a time. Make a list of things you need to do. Put the most urgent task at the top. Once you have accomplished it, cross it off and move on to the next one. The positive feeling of crossing things off can help keep you motivated.

Exercise
Regular exercise is a great way to reduce stress, and it benefits the body as well as the mind. Just 20–30 minutes of physical activity a day can do the trick.

Get involved in hobbies
Take a break from the stressors of life and do something you really enjoy. Try gardening, painting, or reading. Schedule time to indulge your interests.

Share your feelings
Talking about things can help you feel better. A conversation with someone can help you relax. And listening to someone else can take the focus off of yourself—something we all need to do every now and then. Stay in touch with your family and friends; don't try to cope alone.

Go easy with criticism
When you expect too much from yourself or others, you may end up feeling frustrated, let down, and disappointed. Remember that each person is unique and everyone, including yourself, has shortcomings. But each person also has many beautiful qualities to share with the world.

If you follow the above steps carefully and seek help when needed, you can curb or even eliminate anorexia from yourself or your family within time. Be patient and loving. It goes a long way.