30 Million Americans have eating disorders. That’s an enormous amount of people but society does not like talking about eating disorders. There is a stigma that shames people from admitting they’re struggling and prohibits their friends and loved ones from acknowledging the problem.
That has to stop. Education and empathy are necessary. We all need to listen and learn more because we all know someone who has struggled with an eating disorder.
Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are complex illnesses that require specialized care.
Without proper care, eating disorders can kill. They are the number one killer of all mental illnesses.
It used to be eating disorders only affected white women, mostly of college age. That has changed. Eating disorders do not discriminate when it comes to age, gender, race or socio-economic backgrounds.
The doctors at Eating Recovery Center have helped children as young as 8 and adults in their 50s.
The Denver-based Eating Recovery Foundation supports the ground breaking work and therapies at Eating Recovery Centers in North America.
When people do realize they need comprehensive care to get well, covering the cost can become an added stressor. Insurance companies call the Eating Recovery Center weekly, inquiring if the person seeking care is really that sick. If insurance companies decide to deny continuation of care, the patient stands the risk of not making a full recovery.
For those who qualify, the Eating Recovery Foundation will bridge that financial gap so that they can continue care.
That is how things turned out for Nicole Griswold, who struggled for years with anorexia. Nicole is happy and healthy now. She is grateful and determined to help others who are living with eating disorders.
When it comes to federal funding into research for eating disorders, the money is disproportionate considering how much is spent on other mental illnesses.
The Eating Recovery Foundation is focusing energy and funds on new research. It has awarded the first grant to a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who will spend the next two years finding new therapies for adolescents who have eating disorders.
Because one in four college students have eating disorders, the Eating Recovery Foundation supports The Body Project on campuses throughout North America. The Body Project promotes body acceptance among peer groups. It works! Students who talk and listen to one another and share their feelings and stressors are less at risk of developing eating disorders. The students also learn how to help their friends who have unhealthy behaviors in order to reach what they think is “ideal.”
Through charitable care, research funding and education and prevention programs, the Eating Recovery Foundation is making a profound impact in the field of eating disorders.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please call for help: 877-711-1690
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