SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — National Eating Disorder Awareness Week runs from February 24 to March 1. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) started the campaign in 2019 to raise the profile of eating disorders.
More than 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Three of the most common types of eating disorders are
- anorexia nervosa, marked by restricted eating and extreme thinness;
- bulimia nervosa, which compels people to eat large amounts of food and then try to purge it, using exercise or other means, and
- binge-eating disorder, which can lead to obesity and is the most common eating disorder in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM).
NIMH says that eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of body weight or gender, and frequently emerge during adolescence and early adulthood.
If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, you can contact the NEDA’s phone helpline at (800) 931-2237 or chat with the staff online on its website. For further information on eating disorders, you can visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website.
NCC News Reporter Olivia Matalon contributed to this story.
