Eating Disorder Awareness Week
By Joanie in Health Tips, Lifestyle Tips on 1 March 2022
Eating Disorder Awareness Week is a National campaign that takes place every year in order to raise awareness about eating disorders and provide resources for those who are curious about the disorders or who are interested in seeking treatment.
What is an Eating Disorder? The most common eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa – when you try to keep your weight as low as possible by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or both.
Bulimia – when you sometimes lose control and eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time (binging) and are then deliberately sick, use laxatives, restrict what you eat, or do too much exercise to try to stop yourself gaining weight.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – when you regularly lose control of your eating, eat large portions of food all at once until you feel uncomfortably full, and are then often upset or guilty.
Other specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) – when your symptoms don’t exactly match those of anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, but it doesn’t mean it’s a less serious illness.
On average, 149 weeks pass before those experiencing eating disorder symptoms seek help. We know that the sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full and fast recovery. That is why it so important that we raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder and encourage and empower people to take action now no matter how long their symptoms have been present.
For more information about the week and to find out how to get involved, visit the Beating Eating Disorders Website –