The Aerie Real Foundation™ works to build confidence in women, foster an inclusive community, and protect our planet to make the world a better place for all. We’re awarding our first $100,000 Aerie Real Change Signature Grant to NEDA Campus Warriors!
Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) was launched in Columbus, Ohio in 1984 by the National Anorexic Aid Society to coincide with our 3rd National Eating Disorder Conference. Our first theme was “Be the person you are; It’s what’s inside that counts”. Our goal was to educate health and mental health professionals, schools, colleges and the public about the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and provide treatment resources for affected individuals and families. The next two years focused on expanding EDAW to the entire state of Ohio.
If it wasn’t for my support system, my eating disorder would have devoured me. I had just started college, was so caught up in my quest for thinness, so desperate to succeed, to make my body as small as possible, that I couldn’t acknowledge that there might be a problem with the punishing methods I had resorted to. My body was screaming in protest – amenorrhea, thinning hair, ice-cold hands – but I refused to notice.
May, 2009. “I am worried about you…you are disappearing before my eyes, and I am losing my friend Anne. I can’t see her anymore; and I am sad. I really want her back. I love you and I am here, caring about you”…Love P
I have always read about models who suffer from eating disorders, but I didn’t expect I would be one of them.
I became a model when I was scouted on the streets of Tokyo at the age of 12. After my parents and I had a proper chat with the agency, my parents allowed me to sign up with the agency only under the condition that I continue my studies and succeed in school.
We have both been there. In our late teens, anorexia took control of our lives. We were each trapped in cycles of perfectionism that were tearing our minds and bodies apart. Luckily, thanks to therapy and the unwavering support of family, friends, and treatment teams, we have been able to rebuild healthy relationships with our bodies and our self-image.
The New Year can be a fresh start for many individuals, and a great opportunity to refocus on goals in the future. However, it can also be a triggering time for individuals who are working to recover or maintain their recovery from an eating disorder. Many individuals wonder what the best way is to approach the new year while being immersed in a society obsessed with weight loss.