Click for full show notes, exercises, and word-for-word scripts from this episodeWhat can you say to a teenager who seems to be having a difficult time around food? Eating disorders are incredibly serious and can often end in serious health consequences and even death if they go untreated. But getting teens to talk about these issues is difficult as most are highly defensive and don't want to admit there is a problem.Dana Suchow is an expert on eating disorders and this week on the podcast she reveals some powerful strategies for connecting with teens about their eating issues.Originally, Dana was just trying to start a fashion blog so she could be cool and glamorous and fly around the world with her photographer boyfriend. But when she found herself struggling with an eating disorder to stay thin for photo shoots and Instagram pictures, she decided to open up about her problems on her blog.Soon, the site, DoTheHotPants.com, had transformed from a fashion blog into a popular forum for people to speak out about eating disorders and other body issues.At the helm of this project, Dana Suchow has been thrust into the spotlight as an international expert on eating disorders and getting people to open up about their bodies.She told me that she remembers a conversation with a roommate back when she was struggling with her eating disorder. Her roommate was really trying to help, but to Dana it just felt like she was being attacked. She became defensive and lashed out.The issue is that eating disorders are very secret and personal. If you know a teen who is grappling with this, you need to be careful how you approach it. Even if you mean well, bringing it up in the wrong way can actually backfire.This week's podcast episode has some specific strategies you can use to get through. Dana Suchow also explains how to connect with teenagers about exercise in a positive way, words you should absolutely avoid when talking about food, and where negative body image comes from.Parents actually have a lot more power than you might think. There are things you can do to really make a difference with your teenager when it comes to eating disorders. But it is NOT easy and there is a lot that can go wrong.In this episode Dana gets into detail on exactly what parents can do.