Activism

2014 LA Artist Initiative NEDA Walk

What an amazing turnout we had at this year’s Los Angeles NEDA Walk in sunny Santa Monica, California! As I take a while to pause and reflect on all of the time and energy that was put into preparing, sharing and executing this inspiring and emotional event, I am sad that it is now over, but I am also ready and preparing to have an even bigger and better time for next year’s event.

Our Neighbors to the North Show us How They Mark Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Like the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in the US, Canada's National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) supports and promotes a variety of country-wide initiatives to inform the public and ignite hope within our communities .

My Mission: Love, Support, Encourage.

I was nervous and scared, as I set up my table at my university club fair in August. I was about to embark on an unfamiliar journey: starting the first eating disorder support group at my school.

Passerby: “What is this?”

Me: “Hi there, this year I am starting a support group for those struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating. Would you like to hear about it?”

A Scale Can't Measure the Severity of Your Eating Disorder

The person sitting next to you in class or in the cubicle across from you might be suffering from a severe eating disorder. How do I know? Because that person suffering was me.

Why I Participate in NEDAwareness Week

When I was in the worst of my eating disorder, I didn’t know there were others out there.

I didn’t realize that I was not an exception.

I didn’t see that there were others struggling the same way, hurting the same way, thinking the same way.

I thought I was alone. So utterly, miserably alone.

My relatives thought it was just a phase, that I was just disciplined, moody and maybe even vain.

They thought I was seeking attention, wanting to be pitied, just playing a game.

Victory for Care and Coverage for Eating Disorders!

In 2010, the family of a 14-year-old girl who was suffering from anorexia filed a complaint against health insurance giant Cigna for denying coverage for the nutritional counseling her doctors deemed necessary. This complaint, and many others like it, prompted the New York Attorney General’s office to launch an investigation into some of Cigna’s practices.

Moving Forward: Lobby Day Progress Report

On October 10th, 200 passionate individuals converged in Washington, DC to meet with their representatives at NEDA’s first Federal Lobby Day, co-sponsored by the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED) and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). Despite the government shutdown, the threat of a truckers strike around the city and pouring rain, participants made their way to the Hill to use their voice to make a positive change.

Lobby Day Progress

Day 2 of the NEDA Conference: A Moving Family Panel and Insights on Males with Eating Disorders

The first general session on the second day of the Conference – NEDA’s annual Family Panel – sent a powerful and vital message to attendees: recovery is real and possible for everyone. The Family Panel included personal stories of overcoming and perseverance in the face of an eating disorder diagnosis, as well as touching stories from both a father and partner of individuals affected on what they have learned about supporting a loved one with an eating disorder. Here is an overview of this year’s panelists:

Day 1 of the NEDA Conference: Challenging the Field to Move Forward

As always, the first day of the conference was full of informative and inspirational presentations by all of our speakers, but this year's general sessions had a notable proactive tenor to them - they challenged all of us to move forward and grow as a field.

NEDA's First Federal Lobby Day A Great Success Despite Challenges in Washington

Last night, Taryn O’Brien, the manager of NEDA’s STAR Program and first Federal Lobby Day, carefully planned the short walk 301 advocates would take from the Hyatt hotel to the Capitol building. This morning, she woke up to rain.

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