Eating disorders in kids and teens surged during the pandemic, and the earliest warning signs are the ones most parents miss. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, registered dietitian Kim Doyle explains how disordered eating starts, what intuitive eating actually asks of you and why a missing period is a signal to act on. Kim watched pediatric eating disorder referrals explode in 2020 while waitlists stretched 12 to 18 months, so she founded Brant Nutrition in Brantford, Ontario to catch the families the system was leaving behind. She also shares her own recovery from disordered eating as a competitive wrestler, including the pelvic floor assessment that changed everything.
This episode is brought to you by SRC Health. Shop SRC garments at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code SRC15 for 15% off.
In This Episode
- [00:00] How Kim became a dietitian, starting with a weight based sport
- [06:35] Summer 2020: the referral surge and 12 to 18 month waitlists
- [11:45] What disordered eating actually means
- [14:45] Kim's own story: cutting weight, restriction and the injury cycle
- [21:50] The labral tear that led her to a pelvic floor physio
- [25:25] Intuitive eating explained (so much more than eat whatever you want)
- [29:00] The pulse practice: a three minute interoception exercise
- [33:45] RED-S and why a missing period should never be ignored
- [38:10] Warning signs of disordered eating in children
- [44:00] Resources for families
- [47:35] What recovery looks like and how long it takes
- [53:00] Where to find Kim and Brant Nutrition
- [56:10] Kim's theme song
What You Will Learn
Listeners will come away knowing the difference between changing your diet for a real physical reason and changing it to quiet a fear, the specific pattern of illogical food rules that flags trouble in kids as young as 8, and how the language adults use about their own bodies is absorbed by the children listening. Kim also teaches the pulse practice step by step and explains what actually happens inside the body during RED-S, including why bone density pays the price.
About Kim Doyle, RD
Kim Doyle is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Brant Nutrition in Brantford, Ontario. A member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario since 2010 and the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, she spent seven years in pediatric home care before founding her clinic in March 2021. Brant Nutrition is a weight inclusive, non diet practice covering pediatric feeding, eating disorder recovery, gut health, mental health and sports nutrition, virtual across Ontario.
Theme Song: Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Our Sponsor: SRC Health
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Key Topics Covered
- Pediatric eating disorders and the pandemic surge
- Intuitive eating and interoception
- Disordered eating warning signs in kids
- RED-S, amenorrhea and bone health
- Weight inclusive, non diet nutrition care
- Family based treatment (the Maudsley method)
- The pelvic floor and body connection
Resources and References Mentioned
Listen to More Episodes Like This
Find them all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca:
- From Your Plate to Your Pleasure: Food, Body Image, and Intimacy with Emily Arthur, RD (Kim's teammate at Brant Nutrition)
- Body Brilliance: Connecting the Dots Between Emotional Eating, Hormones and Pelvic Health with Amber Romaniuk
- Pediatric Pelvic Health: Kids Don't Grow Out of It with Keri Martin Vrbanac
Our pediatric team at Blueberry Therapy treats constipation, bedwetting and pelvic floor concerns in kids, and our multidisciplinary team supports the gut and bowel side of everything discussed here.
Connect with Kim
Keep the Conversation Going
Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca, leave a review if this episode helped you and book a free fifteen minute discovery call at blueberrytherapy.ca. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
