Interview with Dr. Catherine Senécal: “Show your child: You are good just the way you are!”

"The best way to combat eating disorders is prevention: parents should help their children to appreciate their own bodies and admire their capabilities, instead of degrading them to a mere object. If the mothers themselves are constantly dieting and complaining about excess pounds or fat, this is of course counterproductive..." Dr. Catherine Senécal , Canadian psychologist and author of the guide "You are good just the way you are!" , has developed important strategies through her practical experience in counseling people with eating disorders to reliably prevent anorexia, bulimia, etc., or to recognize and counteract them in good time.

You have been volunteering for more than ten years at a counseling center for people with anorexia or bulimia, and one of your specialties as a behavioral psychologist is the treatment of all kinds of eating disorders. What motivated you to write your new book?

Dr. Senécal: There were parents and educators who asked me every day how to prevent the children around them from developing eating disorders. Prevention seems to be the best way to make a big social impact.

According to current statistics from Canada, almost half of all boys and girls are dissatisfied with their own bodies, around ten percent have already been on a diet and a third of them have even deliberately induced vomiting or taken laxatives or appetite suppressants. Can these figures be transferred to other countries? What are the causes of the negative body image among young people?

Dr. Senécal: It is clear that the understanding of the body as an object plays a role in the dissatisfaction of many young people with their own bodies. However, certain genetic, biological and psychological conditions must be met for an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia to develop. The media also has an influence, as it spreads an ideal of slimness and beauty that is unattainable. If we support artists who represent a much more alternative body image, we also offer future generations a much wider range of role models.

Scientific studies have found that there is a close connection between negative body image and the development of an eating disorder. Why is it so difficult to convey to children and young people a positive relationship with their appearance and their diet?

Dr. Senécal: This is a very complex question, but I would like to offer a possible answer by pointing out that we should give more importance to what our body can do, its functionality rather than its appearance. We should also avoid common stereotypes by giving our children neutral toys and dressing them in neutral clothes.

How can affected children and young people or their parents and other responsible persons recognize early on whether they are suffering from an eating disorder? What manifestations and special features should be taken into account?

Dr. Senécal: Who might be at risk? A child who distances himself from friends, who changes his style of clothing, who collects recipes, who spends a lot of time on social media, who is very irritable, who tries to take control when cooking, who plays sports where performance depends on weight or appearance, etc.

The health consequences of eating disorders are serious and can even lead to death. Which medical and psychological therapy concepts offer the best chances of recovery?

Dr. Senécal: The combination of doctors, psychologists and nutritionists is ideal. The therapeutic approach currently used shows a remarkable effect in meta-analysis and cognitive behavioral therapy or Maudsley family therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a therapeutic approach that allows you to change unrealistic thoughts, which then enables you to react emotionally appropriately to real situations. Maudsley therapy follows a systemic approach. It is a family therapy in which all family members contribute to the recovery of the person suffering from an eating disorder.

In your opinion, the so-called “figure obsession” can best be combated within the family. What specific techniques do you give parents to help their children prevent or overcome an eating disorder?

Dr. Senécal: There are suitable approaches for every age group. First of all, however, you should always refrain from commenting or criticizing your child's body, regardless of age. This is mentioned in every study! Children learn by imitation. As an adult, you should therefore also avoid commenting or criticizing your own body or that of others.

Book tip:
You are good just the way you are! How to free your child from figure obsession. Mankau Verlag 2019, paperback, 13.5 x 21.5 cm, 222 pages, € 16.90 (D) / € 17.40 (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-544-8.

Link recommendations:
More about the book "You are good just the way you are!"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about the author Dr. Catherine Senécal
To the Internet forum with our authors and readers