Eating Disorders Awareness Week

CW: Eating disorders

This year, Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) takes place from February 26th to March 3rd with the theme of “healing in community.” EDAW is an annual campaign that focuses on educating the public about eating disorders and provides information, hope, visibility, and support to those affected by eating disorders.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders are “serious, biologically influenced medical illnesses marked by severe disturbances to one’s eating behaviors. Eating disorders can affect people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, body weights, and genders.”

There are a variety of different eating disorders such as anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, atypical anorexia, diabulimia, orthorexia, ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder), and OSFED (other specified feeding or eating disorder). Some common causes of eating disorders are genetic factors, social and cultural pressure, environmental factors, and psychological factors.

Though each individual’s journey with an eating disorder is unique, I empathize deeply with the challenges many face as I navigate my own recovery from binge eating disorder. Recently, my doctor informed me that I now have what is called an unspecified eating disorder, meaning I “suffer severe distress due to an eating disorder but don’t meet all the criteria for a specific eating disorder.” 

I was first diagnosed with binge eating disorder in 2022 but struggled with food and body image for years before that. While getting a diagnosis was hard, it pushed me to get professional help. I started going to therapy more consistently and challenged my thoughts surrounding food and my body. For me, binge eating disorder started from a place of restriction. I had an all-or-nothing mindset around food which only led to a cycle of binging, restricting, and shame. 

The height of my binge eating was during the fall of 2022 when I was competing as a Division I runner and struggling to come to terms with my sexuality. As a closeted member of the LGBTQ+ community, I was working through difficult emotions like internalized homophobia in addition to the added pressure of school and athletics. Unsure of how to cope with my feelings, I turned to food for control. 

I found that journaling, listening to music, and spending time with supportive people helped me the most during that difficult time. The rest of my school year was filled with self-reflection, therapy, recovery, and relapses.  

It wasn’t until I came out, graduated from college, and stopped running competitively that I finally felt a sense of relief from binge eating. As I slowly created a more balanced relationship with exercise, I built a healthier relationship with food. Recently, the thoughts that once clouded my mind are quieter. 

Today, I’m still working to combat restrictive habits and accept my body, but I celebrate every moment of progress. I now feel more comfortable in my identity and cope with hard emotions by exercising, reaching out to friends, and doing creative activities. 

In the United States alone, 28.8 million Americans experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Eating disorders also have the second-highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders. 

Recovery is not easy and it won’t happen overnight. It might be a lifelong journey, but I have found that recovering is better than being stuck in the grips of an eating disorder. The progress and improvements are worth the fight; you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out for support and never give up on yourself. You are capable and you matter!

If you or someone you know is battling an eating disorder, contact ANAD at 1 (888)-375-7767 or anad.org. If you are a risk to yourself, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 988lifeline.org.

Works Cited 

“Eating Disorders Awareness Week.” The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-awareness-week-2024/.

“Eating Disorder Statistics.” The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), anad.org/eating-disorder-statistic/.

“Types of Eating Disorders.” Eating Recovery Center, eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/eating-disorders.