Recently I was interviewed by 2hautechicks about kids, food, and disordered eating. Here's Part Two of the interview. Check out their blog, a forum for fashion savvy working moms!

Teaching Our Kids to be Confident, No Matter What Size They Are! (Part Two)

Continuing our conversation with Dr. Nina ….

2hautechicks: If we think that our kids are suffering from an eating disorder, what should we say to them? What steps should we take to treat these disorders?

Dr. Nina: Communication is everything! If you suspect your child is suffering from an eating disorder, or engaging in disordered behavior with food, talk to him or her about your concerns.

Don’t bring up their appearance or say anything that might feel shaming. I suggest saying something along the lines of:

“I notice that your eating habits have changed, lately. I’m worried about your health and your happiness. Can you talk to me about what’s going on?”

“I’m concerned about you, because you’re not eating much, these days.”

Make sure the focus is on YOUR concern about your child’s well-being, rather than on their behavior with food.

Don’t try to deal with this issue yourself. Seek professional help for your child and family from someone with expertise and experience in disordered eating.

Emphasize that therapy is about getting support and understanding. If your child thinks of therapy as punishment, help her (or him) have a more positive attitude by gently pointing out the supportive nature of therapy.

2hautechicks: What are the most important things we can do or say in order to make our kids have a positive body image and not worry about their weight or size?

Dr. Nina: As parents we need to be very aware of the messages we send to their kids. Comments about our own weight, or that of other people (even if it’s positive), can give the covert message that a person has to look a certain way to be acceptable.

We live in a very body-conscious society, especially here in Southern California. It’s important to bolster the confidence of the whole person, and not focus so much on appearance.

We all have different aspects of ourselves – body, emotions, mind. Make sure that you acknowledge all parts of your children. Praise them for being kind people. Acknowledge their efforts, not just their achievements (ie, good grades). When children feel good about themselves, when they have a healthy sense of self-esteem, they will be less vulnerable to disordered eating.

2hautechicks: Thank you for all of the advice! We like to end our “Haute Spotlight” with a few fun questions. What are your top five “must have” beauty products?

Dr. Nina: #1 – Top of the list is a BB cream. I’m a busy mom and time is of the essence, so a product that is a sunscreen and anti-ager in one is my idea of a dream product!!

#2 – Mascara!! Fabulous lashes are… well, fabulous! I love the Lancome mascaras, which always give me long, dark lashes. And eyes are the windows of the soul

#3 – Lipgloss. Nars Dolce Vita. It’s the best!

#4 – Kiss Press-On Nails. I don’t have time to get manicures as much as I’d like (okay, I almost never have time to get a mani-pedi, darn!) and these are my secret weapon.

They give you perfect nails in about two minutes! #5 – A smile. I think a smile and a good attitude makes everyone look better

2hautechicks: If you could describe your work dress style in one word, what would it be? What one word would you use to describe your off-duty, non-work style?

Dr. Nina: My work clothes are definitely stylish! I like clothes that are a bit classic and a bit funky at the same time. I’m not into labels and like to mix really great shoes (love my Louboutin booties) with fun outfits from Forever 21 or some tiny boutique in New York, where I find great clothes that are good for my professional style.

Off duty, I’m pretty eclectic. On the weekends I usually wear skinny jeans with a cute top of some kind and fabulous shoes or boots. I think shoes and bags make almost every outfit go from fine to fabulous!

2hautechicks: Thanks for everything, Dr. Nina and we hope to talk to you soon!

Here's some information about the 2hautechicks in their own words:

Two Women Who Wear Many (Fabulous) Hats

I’d like to pretend that the idea for this blog came about in a flash of inspiration, an “ah-ha” moment. Really, this blog was born after one of our countless conversations about the Kardashians, or our latest fashion obsession, or our latest work challenge, or our general complaints about being sleep deprived from chasing after our kids. We realized that we could be the voice for 30-something women who juggle careers, kids, husbands and homes… all while looking fabulous. Think of us as the Generation X answer to the Generation Y chicks on “Girls.” We are older (just a tad), wiser (infinitely so) and much more fashion forward (thank God!).

We met during our first year at UCLA law school. Three years of law school, more years at law firms than we care to admit, countless glasses of wine, many shopping excursions, two weddings and three kids later … here we are! We think (and hope) that women of all ages will read our blog and find a shared experience, a forum for discussing the things that are most important to women. We promise to write with brutal honesty, we can’t promise not to over share (!), and we hope you will share in our laughter – and our tears – as we embark on this adventure together.

Check them out at www.2hautechickss.com