This year’s NEDAwareness Week will center around the theme, “See the Change, Be the Change.” This means that the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) will spend the week acknowledging the evolution of the eating disorders field (#SeeTheChange), as well as encouraging people to engage in advocacy and raise awareness of eating disorders in their communities (#BeTheChange). In the United States, eating disorders are the second most fatal mental illness, surpassed only by opioid use disorder, according to NEDA. This is why educating ourselves and others about the dangers and causes of eating disorders is imperative. “The most important thing to know is that recovery is possible at any age with the right tools, skills, and support. With treatment, many people fully recover,” says Joel Jahraus, MD, chief medical officer at Oliver-Pyatt Centers, an eating disorders treatment program in Miami. Eating disorders have a variety of causes. According to NEDA, the risk factors fall into three categories:
Biological For instance, someone with an immediate family member (such as a parent or sibling) who has an eating disorder is at risk of developing one themselves.Psychological For example, people who have or had an anxiety disorder are more prone to developing an eating disorder.Social For instance, people from racial or ethnic minority groups who experience “acculturation,” or pressure to assimilate Western ideals of beauty and ways of life, have an increased risk for eating disorders.
Want to get involved in the fight against eating disorders? Here’s how you can participate, both during NEDAwareness Week and year-round. NEDA regularly updates its events calendar with dates and locations where walks will take place. If you’d like to participate, you could either register multiple people as a team of walkers, join an existing team, or opt to attend individually.
Informative Webinars
On its YouTube channel, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) hosts informational webinars about various topics related to eating disorders. Check out ANAD’s discussions about different facets of life with eating disorders, such as:
Ways to bust the stigma related to eating disordersHow men can seek treatment for eating disordersHow eating disorders affect BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communitiesWays to deal with “diet culture”
ANAD also hosts “Insta Lives” on its Instagram account, @anadhelp. Previous guest speakers include TV and film producer Annie Weisman and former football player Patrick Devenny, both of whom have had eating disorders.
Online Support Groups
The Eating Recovery Center (ERC) holds free, weekly virtual support groups for different communities of people affected by eating disorders. Led by trained facilitators, ERC’s support group options include:
Caregivers of children and teens with eating disordersClinicians in eating disorder recoveryCollege students and young adultsMembers of the LGBTQ+ communityLoves ones of adults with eating disordersPeople of colorPeople with addictive behaviors
Volunteer or Internship Roles
Consider getting involved in the fight against eating disorders awareness by applying to volunteer or intern for NEDA. Volunteers and interns support NEDA in a variety of ways, such as helping run NEDA Walks or operating NEDA’s helpline for people who need help finding resources, support, or treatment options for themselves or a loved one. ANAD also offers training for volunteer opportunities such as becoming a peer helpline volunteer, a peer mentor for people in recovery, or a support group leader.
Legislative Advocacy
Volunteers can also take part in NEDA’s legislative advocacy efforts. Currently, one of NEDA’s key initiatives is ensuring a safe online environment on social media platforms like Instagram, which was recently found to contribute to negative body image, mental health, and eating disorders among teenage girls. If you perform professional research related to eating disorders, you can apply for a research grant through NEDA’s Feeding Hope Fund for Clinical Research. Center for Discovery Eating Disorder Treatment This treatment center accepts adolescent and adult patients, with gender-specific and evidence-based offerings including residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment. They also have treatment programs for LGBTQ+ people. Center for Discovery has locations all over the country including, but not limited to:
Fairfield, Greenwich, and Southport, ConnecticutColumbia, MarylandBridgewater and Paramus, New JerseyThe Hamptons, New York
EDCare This accredited treatment center accepts patients of all genders and offers evidence-based recovery programs geared toward adolescents and adults with eating disorders. EDCare offers various levels of care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient treatment. It has locations in:
Colorado Springs, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoKansas City, KansasOmaha, Nebraska
Monte Nido & Affiliates This treatment program offers evidence-based, health-at every-size-informed, and gender-affirming care. It has various locations across the United States providing residential, partial hospitalization, or outpatient treatment, such as:
Boston, MassachusettsMalibu, CaliforniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPortland, OregonWestchester, New York
McCallum Place Eating Disorder Centers This nationally acclaimed treatment center has locations in Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. Its evidence-based treatment options for patients ages 12 or older include residential and partial hospitalization care for people of all genders who have anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or similar eating disorders. McCallum Place also partners with several academic institutions that perform research related to eating disorders, including St. Louis University and the University of North Carolina. Nalgona Positivity Pride This organization was created by people of color for people of color. Nalgona Positivity Pride is focused on connecting Black, Indigenous, and people of color with resources and support for eating disorders throughout the Los Angeles area. This organization offers a free, online support group called Sage and Spoon for Black, Indigenous, and people of color with eating issues. Reasons Eating Disorder Center Adults of any gender can be admitted into this treatment center for eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder, among others. The levels of evidence-based care Reasons Eating Disorder Center offers include inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and independent living. It has several locations throughout California.
