Eating disorders are serious conditions affecting how teens think about food and their bodies, but Latino families often struggle to find help that fits their culture and language. Researchers worked directly with Latino teens and parents who have dealt with eating disorders to understand their biggest challenges and needs. They used this feedback to create a new program called FAST-TCA that’s designed specifically for Latino families. The program uses a workbook and includes family members, which matches what Latino families said they wanted. This study shows how listening to communities can help create better, more helpful treatments.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How to create a treatment program for eating disorders that works better for Latino teens and their families by asking them what they need
  • Who participated: Latino teenagers who have experienced eating disorders and their parents/caregivers who shared their real-life experiences and ideas
  • Key finding: When researchers listened to what Latino families actually needed, they found that cultural foods, family involvement, and materials in Spanish were really important—things that most existing programs didn’t include
  • What it means for you: If you’re a Latino teen or parent dealing with eating disorders, future treatment options may be designed with your culture and language in mind, making help feel more relevant and easier to use

The Research Details

This study used focus groups, which are like guided conversations where researchers ask questions and listen carefully to what people share. The researchers held two rounds of conversations—one with Latino parents and caregivers, and another with Latino teenagers who had experienced eating disorders. All conversations were recorded, written down word-for-word, and then carefully reviewed to find common themes and important ideas that kept coming up. This approach, called phenomenological analysis, focuses on understanding people’s real-life experiences rather than just collecting numbers. The researchers used a detailed system to organize and identify patterns in what people said, making sure they captured the most important feedback.

Most eating disorder treatments were created for non-Hispanic White families, which means they might not fit the values, languages, or experiences of Latino families. By directly asking Latino families what they need, researchers can create programs that actually work for them. This approach respects the community’s knowledge and makes sure the treatment feels natural and helpful rather than foreign or uncomfortable.

This study is strong because it directly involved the people who will use the treatment—Latino teens and families. The researchers used a careful, organized method to analyze what people said, and they did two rounds of focus groups to make sure they understood the feedback well. However, this study doesn’t test whether the new program actually works yet; it’s just the first step of gathering ideas. The next step will be to try the program with real families and see if it helps.

What the Results Show

Parents and caregivers identified seven important themes: they talked about why eating disorders develop (including family stress and cultural pressures), their experiences trying to get help, how family relationships affect eating disorders, the big barriers that stop them from getting care, what they want from treatment, how they can be better supported, and what they want in a workbook. Teenagers identified four main themes: how their cultural identity connects to their eating disorder, how their family helps or doesn’t help them, the importance of how information is shared with them (being respectful and understanding), and what helped them recover. Both groups strongly agreed that treatment should include the whole family, use culturally familiar foods as examples, be available in Spanish, and respect Latino values and traditions.

Parents emphasized that they wanted more education to understand eating disorders better so they could help their teens. Teenagers stressed that they needed content that didn’t feel judgmental or shame-based. Both groups mentioned that cultural stigma around mental health made it harder to seek help. The feedback led to specific changes in the workbook, like including foods common in Latino diets instead of generic examples, and creating extra materials to help parents understand what their teens are going through.

This research fills an important gap because most eating disorder programs haven’t been designed with Latino communities’ input. Previous studies showed that Latino families face unique barriers like language differences and cultural misunderstandings, but few treatments actually addressed these issues. This study is one of the first to systematically ask Latino families what they need, making it an important step forward in creating fair and effective care.

This study gathered ideas but didn’t yet test whether the new program actually helps teens and families. The number of people in the focus groups wasn’t specified in the research, so we don’t know exactly how many families participated. The study focused on families willing to participate in focus groups, which might mean they’re different from families who don’t seek help. The next phase will test the program with real families to see if it actually works.

The Bottom Line

This research suggests that eating disorder treatment designed with Latino families’ input may be more helpful and easier to use. However, this is an early-stage study, so we should wait for the next phase of testing before making strong claims about how well it works. If you’re a Latino family dealing with eating disorders, it’s worth asking about culturally adapted programs and treatments that include family involvement.

Latino teenagers with eating disorders or disordered eating should care about this research, as should their parents and caregivers. Healthcare providers working with Latino communities should also pay attention, as this shows what their patients actually need. This research is less directly relevant to non-Latino families, though the approach of asking communities what they need could apply to other groups too.

This is just the beginning. The researchers are now testing the new program with real families. It will likely take several more months to a year or more before we know whether FAST-TCA actually helps reduce eating disorders in Latino teens. Real changes in eating behaviors and thoughts typically take weeks to months of consistent work with treatment.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track family meal times and conversations about food using the app’s journal feature, noting how often family members eat together and whether discussions feel supportive or stressful
  • Use the app to set reminders for family check-ins about eating and emotions, and log culturally relevant meals your family enjoys to build positive food associations
  • Monitor weekly family engagement with eating-related conversations and track mood changes around mealtimes over 4-week periods to identify patterns and progress

This research describes the early development of a new treatment program and does not yet demonstrate that the program is effective. If you or a family member is struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, please consult with a healthcare provider, mental health professional, or contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) helpline. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical or mental health advice. The FAST-TCA program is still being developed and tested and is not yet available for general use.