For Teachers, Coaches + Community Leaders
Small shifts in culture can make a meaningful difference
Teachers, coaches, school staff, youth leaders, and community members can play an important role in eating disorder prevention, early recognition, and connection to support.
You do not need to be an eating disorder expert. Changes in language, policies, team culture, classroom norms, health education, and referral practices can reduce shame and create safer environments for young people and adults.
These resources offer practical guidance rooted in compassion, inclusivity, body diversity, weight-inclusive care, and research.
Notice, respond with care, and connect people with support
Teachers, coaches, and community leaders are not expected to diagnose eating disorders or provide treatment.
You may, however, be one of the first people to notice that someone’s mood, energy, eating, movement, performance, or social connection has changed.
You do not need certainty before checking in. Describe what you have noticed, express concern without commenting on appearance, and follow the referral or safety procedures available in your setting.
- Notice concerning changes in behavior, mood, energy, eating, movement, performance, or social connection
- Avoid language that increases shame, comparison, or fear around food, weight, bodies, health, and exercise
- Create environments where people are not praised or judged based on body size, weight, shape, or appearance
- Respond with care and privacy when someone shares that they are struggling
- Know your organization’s pathway for counseling, medical support, safeguarding, or outside referrals
- Seek urgent support when serious medical symptoms, suicidality, or immediate safety concerns are present
Creating safer classrooms, teams, and community spaces
Different environments carry different risks and opportunities. The practices below can help reduce weight stigma, food shame, appearance pressure, and barriers to asking for help.
For teachers + school staff
Schools can support prevention by reducing shame, comparison, public body evaluation, and appearance-based health messaging.
- Avoid assignments involving calorie tracking, dieting, public body measurements, or BMI calculations
- Review health lessons for messages that reinforce weight stigma, food morality, or fear of body changes
- Include diverse body sizes, abilities, cultures, identities, and family structures in visuals and discussions
- Notice changes in mood, concentration, eating, attendance, social engagement, or movement behaviors
- Know the school’s pathway for nursing, counseling, family communication, and outside referrals
- Discuss concerns privately without commenting publicly on a student’s food, weight, or appearance
For coaches, trainers + athletic staff
Athletes may be especially vulnerable in environments that emphasize body composition, weight, appearance, discipline, or performing through physical distress.
- Avoid public weigh-ins and body composition comparisons
- Do not praise weight loss as evidence of fitness, effort, discipline, or commitment
- Support consistent meals, snacks, hydration, sleep, recovery, and rest days
- Take dizziness, fainting, missed meals, injury, overtraining, exhaustion, and mood changes seriously
- Avoid language about “leaning out,” earning food, burning off meals, or getting a “better” body
- Collaborate with medical, nutrition, mental health, and athletic training professionals when concerns arise
For community leaders + youth programs
Community organizations influence how people understand food, bodies, movement, health, and whether they feel that they belong.
- Use inclusive images and examples across body size, race, gender, disability, age, and identity
- Avoid weight-loss competitions, transformation challenges, and food-shaming campaigns
- Establish policies addressing bullying, appearance-based teasing, and body commentary
- Offer food in a neutral, accessible way without forcing people to justify hunger, preferences, or dietary needs
- Train staff and volunteers on what to do when they are worried about someone
- Refer people to qualified eating disorder-informed care rather than attempting to counsel or diagnose them
Move away from judgment and toward neutrality, care, and curiosity
Everyday comments about weight, food, health, fitness, and appearance can influence whether someone feels safe, ashamed, included, or able to ask for help.
Language and practices that can help
- “I have noticed that you seem tired and less like yourself. How are you doing?”
- Talk about food as nourishment, culture, connection, pleasure, access, and personal preference
- Celebrate effort, teamwork, learning, creativity, and character without connecting praise to appearance
- Normalize rest, recovery, eating consistently, and responding to physical needs
- Emphasize that bodies naturally differ and change throughout life
- Ask privately what support or accommodations would be helpful
Language and practices to reconsider
- Complimenting weight loss or a smaller body
- Labeling foods, bodies, or people as good, bad, clean, unhealthy, fit, lazy, disciplined, or out of control
- Talking about earning food or compensating through movement
- Publicly discussing someone’s plate, appetite, portion size, clothing size, or body changes
- Using exercise as punishment or food as a reward
- Assuming someone is healthy or unwell based on body size or appearance
A simple, compassionate response can open the door to support
Follow the safeguarding, referral, and communication policies of your school or organization. When possible, address concerns privately and focus on observable changes rather than weight or appearance.
Notice and document changes
Pay attention to changes in mood, concentration, energy, attendance, participation, social connection, eating, movement, injuries, or physical wellbeing. Record observable facts rather than assumptions or diagnoses.
Check in privately
Choose a calm moment and use a simple statement such as, “I have noticed that you seem exhausted and have been pulling away from the team. I wanted to check in because I care about how you are doing.”
Listen without trying to prove anything
The person may minimize, deny, or feel upset about the concern. Avoid debating whether they have an eating disorder. Continue to focus on wellbeing and the support available.
Follow the referral pathway
Connect with the appropriate counselor, nurse, administrator, athletic trainer, caregiver, safeguarding lead, medical professional, or eating disorder-informed provider.
Escalate urgent safety concerns
Fainting, chest pain, significant weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, suicidal thoughts, self-harm risk, or another immediate safety concern requires urgent medical or crisis support.
Toolkits for prevention, recognition, and supportive response
These resources may help schools, athletic programs, colleges, youth organizations, and community leaders strengthen education and prevention efforts.
National Eating Disorders Association
NEDA provides accessible information about eating disorders, warning signs, prevention, treatment, and ways to support someone who may be struggling.
- Educator-focused resources
- Coach and trainer guidance
- Warning signs and symptoms
- Treatment and support information
- Resources for families and loved ones
The Body Project
The Body Project is an eating disorder prevention program designed to reduce body dissatisfaction and internalization of narrow appearance ideals.
- Structured prevention programming
- Body image and appearance-ideal education
- Options for school and college settings
- Facilitator resources and implementation support
Resources for body image, prevention, culture, and weight stigma
These books may support educators, coaches, caregivers, prevention specialists, youth leaders, and community organizations. Inclusion does not represent endorsement of every idea within each resource.
Body image + eating disorder prevention
Body Wars
Healthy Bodies: Teaching Kids What They Need to Know
The Body Project: Promoting Body Acceptance and Preventing Eating Disorders
Inside/Outside Self-Discovery for Teens
Media, culture + body image
Packaging Girlhood
Weight stigma + health
Big Fat Lies
Health At Every Size
Fat Politics
You do not need to change everything at once
Start with one area where your classroom, team, curriculum, or organization could become more neutral, inclusive, and supportive. Sustainable culture change often begins with small, specific practices that are repeated consistently.
- Review the language used around food, bodies, weight, fitness, health, and performance
- Learn early warning signs of disordered eating and medical risk
- Remove activities, competitions, and policies that encourage dieting, public measurement, or body comparison
- Establish a clear and private pathway for referrals and safety concerns
- Seek input from eating disorder-informed professionals when developing curricula, wellness programs, or athletic policies
- Continue learning about weight stigma, body diversity, identity, accessibility, and inclusive health education
Safer environments are built through everyday choices
Moving toward neutrality, curiosity, body diversity, and compassion can help reduce shame and make it easier for people to seek support. EDAM can connect schools, teams, organizations, and community members with additional resources and eating disorder-informed care.