National Eating Disorder Awareness Week: Raising Awareness

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) has named February 21-27 2016 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. NEDA’s goal this week is to increase public awareness of eating disorders, as well as their causes, dangers, and treatments. According to NEDA’s website, an eating disorder is defined as any extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. Some major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. An estimated 20 million women and 10 million men in America suffer from an eating disorder at some point during their lifetime (Wade, Keski-Rahkonen, & Hudson, 2011). It is hard to estimate the exact number of individuals who are affected by eating disorders. This is because those who are struggle with disordered eating often do not seek treatment for their condition and go undiagnosed.
Those suffering from eating disorders are at risk for numerous health issues, including abnormally slow heart rate, heart failure, osteoporosis, muscle loss, severe dehydration, kidney failure, and, in some cases, death. A review done in 2011 by Arcelus, Mitchel, Wales and Nelson found that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.
The focus of this year’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is the importance of intervention. To help promote eating disorder intervention, NEDA’s website now offers a confidential three-minute online eating disorder screening. This online survey consists of twenty four questions ranging from demographic questions about age and sex to specific questions about food behaviors and practices. The results page of the survey offers additional resources and referral for treatment to those who may be at risk for an eating disorder. The results page also offers the option for a follow up survey in three months, so that participants can reassess their eating disorder risk.
This week take three minutes of your time to help promote this important cause. Share NEDA’s link (http://nedawareness.org/about) to help raise awareness and provide someone with the resources they need to get help. It only takes three minutes. Get screened, get help, and get healthy this week with NEDA!

References:
Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with Anorexia Nervosa and other eating disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724-731.
National Eating Disorder Association, http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Wade, T. D., Keski-Rahkonen A., & Hudson J. (2011).Epidemiology of eating disorders. In M. Tsuang and M. Tohen (Eds.), Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology (3rd ed.) (pp. 343-360). New York: Wiley