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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 21 "Notice the things that your children are saying or not saying about food, and also activity and bodies," she said. Pay attention if a child is trying to cut a specific food out of their diet, counting macros, obsess- ing over time at the gym or avoiding entire nutrient categories, such as carbs or sugar. Children who are overly rigid about eating hab- its, and avoid or get anxious about social events based on the food that will be available, may also be showing signs of developing an eating disorder. "It's important to remember that an over-focus on health is in fact unhealthy," Dr. Hill said. "It sounds weird, but it's called orthorexia, and it's very much an eating disorder." Parents often point to these habits as "positive" behaviors and that their children are making "healthy" changes in their lifestyles when, really, it's disordered and unhealthy. It's restrictive and rigid, and patterns of food-limiting behaviors (diets) are inherent in eating disorders. These kinds of behaviors can be signs of dis- ordered eating. Intervening with therapy when eating is disordered can be a critical step to pre- venting a severe eating disorder. "We want to stop it before it gets severe, because once it's severe, recovery is much more difficult," Dr. Hill said. SETTING A HEALTHY EXAMPLE Parents play a huge role in helping children develop a sense of how to take care of their bodies and how to view them, Dr. Hill said. "We, as parents, talk about ourselves and food and other people's bodies, and kids hear it. They pick up on it," she said. "You don't necessarily have to be body-positive all the time, but it's important that you do respect your body, and acknowledge that taking care of it includes things like eating, being active, etc. And that we don't judge ourselves or others for what we look like." GETTING STARTED WITH PSYCHED RECOVERY If you or someone in your family is showing signs of mental health problems that may be tied to disordered eating, reach out to PsychED Recovery by calling 540-940-6394 or requesting an appointment at psychedrecovery.com. The first step is a 15-minute free consultation to get a sense of what is going on and whether PsychED is a good fit. Patients then schedule a roughly 75-minute initial evaluation with to get to a treatment plan recom- mendation. Like most eating disorder treatment providers, PsychED Recovery does not take insurance; however, Dr. Hill says this allows the firm to be more flexible in pricing its plans, and the small setting close to home can make PsychED a more convenient and cost-effective option than providers in Northern Virginia. Dr. Claire Hill, Psy. D. Ea ng Disorder Program Director Licensed Clinical Psychologist Nicole Wendel, M.Ed., RIC Resident in Counseling The PsychEd Recovery Team Dan Schultz MCN, RDN, LD Nutri on Program Director Ea ng Disorder Registered Die an