be directly related to the eating disorder. For example, a patient may have a limited food budget or have difficulty accessing places to buy food and supplies. You may need to help the patient contact a social worker who may be able to assist in finding appropriate resources, or arrange home delivery of groceries or nutritional supplements. Every barrier has an alternative, with the one excep-
tion of “I just don’t want to.” If a patient is not willing to prepare his or her own food, then the timing simply is not right. There are other ways to stay nourished without having to learn to cook.
RESTAURANTS AND OTHER SOCIAL SETTINGS
Whereas some patients are unequipped to prepare their own meals and prefer eating out or “ordering in,” others much prefer the comfort and control of eating only their own foods. Eating at home/in private may be effective and adequate in the early stages of recovery, but most patients will eventually need or want to eat in public—eg, at restaurants, friends’ homes, or parties. Nutrition edu- cation can help them plan ahead what to eat, problem- solve tricky situations that may arise, and practice with a support person (possibly you). See Box 9.3 for possible topics.
