Each year, during the last week of February, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week serves as a powerful reminder of the millions of individuals affected by eating disorders. This week is not just about raising awareness; it’s about creating a space for honest conversations, breaking down stigmas, and offering support for those on the path to recovery. It is a way to educate society on the realities and harms of eating disorders and bring hope to those struggling or affected by the negative outcomes. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week invites us all to listen, learn, and stand together in solidarity with those who are struggling.
Together, let’s make this #EDAW a turning point for greater awareness, empathy, and support for all impacted by eating disorders. -- National Eating Disorder Association
National Eating Disorder Week and the NEDA
Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW) 2025 occurs from Monday, February 24, to Sunday, March 2. The theme this year is “The Time is Now.” The goal is to highlight the importance of sharing knowledge and encouraging treatment and support. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), one of the leading eating disorder organizations, started EDAW. The NEDA works to advance research, build communities, and raise awareness to support nearly 30 million individuals who will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. The NEDA wants to create a world that better understands and supports those who struggle with resources, compassion, and hope.
What Are Eating Disorders?
Now, eating disorders can be hard for people to understand, so let's address one of the main questions: What exactly are eating disorders and how do they affect people? Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect anyone. There is no single cause for an eating disorder, rather, it is a complex combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors. There are many warning signs and symptoms and it is important to be informed of them. To educate yourself and others, the NEDA has provided a page of resources for various people. The page can be found here. This page can also help if you feel like you are struggling or looking for resources for a loved one. There are many different diagnoses of eating disorders, some of the most common including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Binge-Eating Disorder, and Orthorexia. The page linked above provides more details about each diagnosis.
Stigma Surrounding Eating Disorders
As someone who has had an eating disorder and has recovered, I want to inform everyone about eating disorders and especially debunk all of the myths surrounding EDs. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is especially important to me because it helps to bring light to a mental health condition that has a great deal of stigma surrounding it. Eating disorders are serious and something that should not be taken lightly– “every 52 minutes, one person dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder” states the NEDA. The stigma surrounding eating disorders can be so dangerous to those who are suffering. There are so many misconceptions about EDs that can lead to stigmatizing attitudes, such as:
Eating disorders are a lifestyle choice
Eating disorders only affect adolescent girls
Eating disorders are easy to overcome, you just have to eat more or eat better
You must look a certain way or be a certain size to have an eating disorder
People who claim to have an ED are just seeking attention
EDs are just a phase and you’ll grow out of it
Eating disorders aren’t that serious
Stigma causes those who are suffering to feel like their feelings aren’t valid. It causes people to judge, blame, and isolate a person experiencing an eating disorder.
Busting Myths
The misconception that eating disorders are a choice blows my mind. They are never a choice; they are complex illnesses that you should never wish to have. Eating disorders are bio-psycho-social diseases, which means that genetic, biological, environmental, and social elements all play a role in an eating disorder. They commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. The myth that eating disorders aren’t that serious is completely wrong. Eating disorders are something you should take seriously. They have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opiate addiction. Suicide is common among individuals with eating disorders and is one of the leading causes of death for those diagnosed with a disorder. Medical complications can occur from purging, starvation, and over-exercising, and potential health consequences include heart attack, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and electrolyte imbalance.
Importance of Awareness
Raising awareness for eating disorders is very important. When we share information about eating disorders, we are allowing someone to be and feel seen, heard, and understood, possibly for the first time. Eating disorders thrive in silence. When they go unheard and unseen, it allows for the disorder to consume you. It slowly takes over your mind until you can’t see anymore. Eating disorders are something that is not talked about enough; people just assume that no one is affected by them. However, I know millions of people are suffering. If you are reading this and struggling, I see you. You are not alone in your fight and it is okay to not be okay. Eating disorder awareness is vital to help people realize that treatment is possible. It is possible for you to be okay. With the proper support, those struggling have the potential to recover and live a very happy, successful life, free of the constant fear and voice in their head. You have so much to look forward to in your life and everyone deserves the chance to live a life full of love and happiness. Increased education and understanding of eating disorders can help those around you feel seen. Being aware and showing your support goes a long way in ensuring that no one has to face this battle alone.
To everyone out there who is struggling or has struggled in the past:
You are so loved and you deserve to recover. You are worth so much more than a number on a scale. Don’t let a number define who you are. Food is like oxygen; you need it to survive, you need it to live, you need it to heal. Setbacks do not mean you are a failure and it is okay to ask for help when you need it… you are not weak. Recovery is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself, but the journey won’t be easy. However, be brave, be strong, grow, learn, and love yourself through it all. You are not alone.
Resources:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelife: https://988lifeline.org/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Headline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline
ANAD Eating Disorder Helpline: https://anad.org/get-help/eating-disorders-helpline/
National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: +1 (866) 662-1235
National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Find Treatment Page: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-treatment/
NEDA’s Free Screening Tool: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool/
NEDA Resource Page: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/resource-center/
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