Heidi Schauster

Heidi Schauster

Parents want their children to be healthy. This includes getting plenty of exercise and eating healthy. Eating healthy can mean healthy food, and it can also mean the right amounts of food. Sometimes, people can be so obsessed about their weight and appearance, it can affect what and how they eat to an extreme degree. No one intentionally seeks to harm their children when it comes to food and their diet. Parents can inadvertently be doing more harm than good. Sometimes, people can let the "ideals" they see on social media get in the way of what is really a healthy way of eating.

For Heidi Schauster, an author and nutrition therapist, maintaining a healthy relationship between food and the body is more than just a way of life, it is a mission. Schauster has spent 28 years helping people who suffer from eating disorders. She is also a recovering sufferer of an eating disorder. Her experience in the field and personal experiences have helped her in writing "Nurture: How to Raise Kids who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves". The book is a follow-up to Schauster's first book, titled "Nourish".

Social Media and Eating Disorders

Schauster was on hand at the "More Than Words" bookstore on East Berkeley Street in Boston to talk about her book and how she hopes it will help people who don't know where to turn when it comes to an eating disorder. She began by reading a selection from her book and went on to discuss her philosophy when it comes to helping people and her feelings about social media, and how it can contribute to an eating disorder.

"If you look at social media, 'Look at how perfect my food is,' I think it's really confusing, especially for kids," Schauster said. "Social media isn't going away. Hopefully, what we can do it have some literacy. Does this inspire you?" she asks rhetorically. "If you look at social media and it's making you feel bad about your body, it's time to step away. It's such a critical question: How does this make you feel?"

That's not to say social media is evil or completely responsible for insecurities that lead to eating disorders. One thing people can do is "check in" with their bodies and make sure they are getting enough nutrients throughout the day. She also acknowledges there are people who will eat to deal with stress sometimes. This is also acceptable as long as it's not a permanent "solution".

"There's nothing wrong with eating for comfort," Schauster says. "(But) slow down. Pause. Check in with what's going on."

Other Ways of Dealing with Stress

If people check in with how they are feeling, they may not have such a need to turn to food as often as they do. Schauster suggests they may be looking for something that is soothing. Food can be soothing. Plus, it can be painful sometimes to check in and see what's bothering them. As painful as that can be, it's important for the individual to work with their body and find the root of the problem.

"I'm a big fan of working with the body," Schauster said. "'Why am I stressed?' If (people) are feeling emotion, they can let out that energy. Sometimes, just working with the body can be relieving."

She says people will feel guilty about overeating and go on to restrict themselves. The restrictions will lead to people inevitably getting hungry, revert to overeating, and continue the cycle. Schauster feels that some professionals, especially nutritionists put too much of a focus on weight loss or weight gain when working with people and should focus more on the issue of overeating.

"Nutritionists can do some harm with what they're trying to do," Schauster explained. "The focus is on weight loss and not behavior change. I think our medical providers put a focus on weight loss. It's not fatness or thinness. It's behavior change."

Helping People with Eating Disorders

The damage eating disorders do to people can affect their health and their physical appearance. Schauster commented on people coming to see her in her office looking 20-30 years older than they really are. She tries to help everyone she can but acknowledges some people don't get better. She recalled a story of someone, while on their deathbed, saying they were struggling with their weight.

Despite all the struggles, there have been success stories Schauster is happy to talk about.

"I've had people have successes in their life. Careers, relationships. That's part of the work. That's pretty cool. People come in (and) they want to get better."

Like in all fields, the profession of nutrition and eating disorders has it share of success stories and stories that come up a little short. There are people who fully recover and people who struggle on and off. Schauster believes full recovery is possible, and that is why she has written this book.

Click here to see where Heidi Schauster will be speaking about her book.