Eating disorder recovery is a deeply personal journey, and teens often face unique challenges as they navigate self-discovery, societal pressures, and mental health struggles. As a dietitian, I have seen how the right resources can empower teens to reclaim their relationship with food and their bodies. Below are five impactful books for teens in recovery, offering practical tools, insights, and encouragement to support their healing journey.
1. More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament by Lexie Kite, Ph.D., and Lindsay Kite, Ph.D.
This groundbreaking book redefines how we think about body image and self-worth. The Kite sisters guide readers to recognize and resist the pervasive objectification in society while promoting body image resilience. Through research-backed insights and personal stories, this book helps teens focus on what their bodies do rather than how they look.
Why It’s Great for Teens in Recovery:
More Than a Body offers a powerful message for teens struggling with disordered eating: your worth is not tied to your appearance. It provides practical steps to challenge harmful societal norms and develop a more positive relationship with oneself.
2. The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color by Virgie Tovar
Virgie Tovar’s empowering book is a beacon of self-love, especially for teens of color navigating a world shaped by diet culture and systemic inequality. Tovar breaks down barriers to self-acceptance with humor, wisdom, and a deeply intersectional perspective.
Why It’s Great for Teens in Recovery:
This book provides representation and validation for girls of color, helping them feel seen and supported. Its practical advice on body positivity and self-compassion is invaluable for building resilience in recovery.
3. No Weigh!: A Teen’s Guide to Positive Body Image, Food, and Emotional Wisdom by Signe Darpinian, Wendy Sterling, and Shelley Aggarwal
Written by eating disorder specialists, No Weigh! is a teen-friendly guide to building a healthier relationship with food and body image. The book emphasizes emotional regulation, self-awareness, and rejecting diet culture, all critical aspects of recovery.
Why It’s Great for Teens in Recovery:
This book breaks down complex concepts into accessible, actionable steps. Teens can use it to better understand their emotions and make peace with their bodies, all while learning the foundations of intuitive eating.
4. The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed World by Julia V. Taylor
This workbook is filled with interactive exercises designed to help teens explore and challenge negative thoughts about their bodies. It focuses on self-esteem, mindfulness, and media literacy, giving teens the tools they need to navigate an image-obsessed world.
Why It’s Great for Teens in Recovery:
Workbooks like this offer a hands-on approach to recovery, allowing teens to actively engage in their healing process. The activities are empowering, helping them develop confidence and a healthier perspective on their bodies.
5. The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens: A Non-Diet, Body Positive Approach to Building a Healthy Relationship with Food by Elyse Resch
This workbook adapts the principles of intuitive eating for a teen audience, focusing on reconnecting with natural hunger and fullness cues. It’s filled with exercises that encourage teens to listen to their bodies and reject restrictive eating patterns.
Why It’s Great for Teens in Recovery:
For teens who feel disconnected from their bodies, this workbook offers a gentle, structured way to rebuild trust. It helps them move away from diet culture and embrace a more peaceful, intuitive relationship with food.
Recovery from an eating disorder is about more than just addressing behaviors—it’s about rebuilding a positive sense of self and learning to care for both body and mind. Each of these books provides unique insights and tools to support teens on this journey. They empower readers to reject harmful societal messages, cultivate self-compassion, and rediscover the joy of living in their own skin.
Whether you’re a teen in recovery or a caregiver supporting one, these books are excellent companions on the path to healing. Recovery is possible, and resources like these remind us that no one has to walk that path alone.
Ready to get started? We have eating disorder registered dietitian nutritionists who provide eating disorder treatment in Huntsville, as well as virtual health sessions throughout Alabama and many other states.
States where our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists we can see clients:
Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, California, Florida, Utah, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, New York.
Looking for more support?
Fill out our contact form to request an appointment with one of our providers, and we’ll get back to you ASAP!