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One of the best ways to prevent eating disorders, from the perspective of someone who has battled them herself, is to focus on physical accomplishments and not size or weight.

It is often hard to ignore the images we see in the media or the judgement we may feel from others so for me what keeps me from slipping backwards again has been to set goals that will keep me feeling good about my body. Short term goals have been to increase my weights in a Bodypump class, to be able to play my entire soccer game without feeling like dying and to run longer and further. Each time I can say to my friends I increased my weights or I ran 3 or 4 or 5 miles the night before it's hard to feel bad about my body, regardless of not having the ideal shape. When I finished my first half marathon last year it made me realize my body can do not only far more than I ever expected it to, but also more than it would ever be able to do if I wasn't eating, or wasn't keeping my food down. Setting goals that aren't related to measurements or weight have helped me realize that what my body looks like isn't the important thing, it's what I can do with it that counts. Instilling this focus into our youth and allowing them to grow up with this awareness would be a giant leap forward in preventing eating disorders.

Learn more about this author, Kristin Irish.
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