How to Approach Someone You Think May Have an Eating Disorder

When Marina Zhukova was 17 and studying abroad in Germany, her host mother pulled her aside during a welcome dinner and asked a startling question: “Are you struggling with anorexia?”

She wasn’t—she was queasy from a stomach bug and could barely sip tea, let alone touch the hearty feast. But years later, as a psychologist who treats adolescents with eating disorders, Zhukova still thinks about that moment. For someone struggling with disordered eating, she says, a direct question could be lifesaving.