Next week (Feb 24-Mar 1) is National Eating Disorders Awareness (#NEDAwareness) Week. NEDA week is a movement to raise awareness and support for those affected by eating disorders. Eating disorders are a serious but treatable mental illness that can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group. At least 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. alone. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders.
There are a number of ways you can get involved in NEDA week, which can include signing up to join the community and receive updates on how to make your voice heard, sharing your personal recovery story, and/or reaching out to lawmakers to support eating disorders research and prevention. You can also connect with NEDA on social media and spread the NEDA message of hope and recovery.
The chance for recovery increases the earlier an eating disorder is detected. If you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, NEDA is a great resource. They have a confidential helpline and they also offer free screening to determine if it’s time to seek professional help. Please visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.com for these resources.
An additional local resource that is here for you is our eating disorder specialists – Anna Cannata, MS, CN, LMHC and Aster Galloway, MS, RDN. Anna and Aster offer knowledgeable and caring treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating, treating both adults and adolescents. Addressing the whole person and understanding that everyone’s recovery is unique, we utilize a functional medicine approach where appropriate and look at the mind-body connection to address the root cause of disordered eating behaviors.
Take a look at our Eating Disorder Recovery & Treatment Service, learn more about Anna and Aster and schedule an appointment today to get support.