National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
February 21-27 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW)
NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, eating disorder professionals, health care providers, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.
The Theme: It’s Time to Talk About It
The Mission: Prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment.
How It Works: A calling for everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders.
Doing My Small Part
I am passionate about and fulfilled by the work that I do providing nutrition therapy for my clients who battle with an eating disorder. But one of the biggest barriers to treatment is helping my clients get coverage from their insurance company.
I recently learned about the Anna Westin Foundation, an organization committed to helping others gain coverage for eating disorder treatment. After their daughter died of anorexia nervosa as a consequence of their insurance company refusing to cover care for their daughter, Kitty and Mark Westin fought and settled a suit against BCBS of Minnesota. They are now committing their lives to ensuring that this doesn’t happen to others.
So if you know someone who is struggling with gaining coverage for eating disorder treatment, please pass this link along to them.
And consider what one thing you can do to support NEDAW.