A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

As the National Alliance for Eating Disorders marks its silver anniversary, it’s worth pausing to look back through the lens of impact, growth, and stories told in numbers. When The Alliance was founded in October 2000, it was born out of a promise to pay-it-forward after more than a decade of struggling. Since then, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders…

Anorexia nervosa can affect males of all ages and backgrounds, though it’s often missed or misunderstood. Boys and men may restrict food, overexercise, or misuse laxatives in response to pressure to be lean, muscular, or “in shape.” See which male-identifying individuals face a higher risk for anorexia nervosa and learn how to find help. Males Get Eating Disorders, Too. Like…

Eating disorders are often thought of in terms of discernible symptoms like eating behaviors and relationships to food and body. But beneath the more-visible symptoms lies a deeper, less obvious story playing out inside the brain. As neuroimaging techniques have advanced, researchers are uncovering real, measurable differences in brain structure, function, and connectivity in people who experience eating disorders. This…

When we think of the military, images of discipline, strength, and resilience often come to mind. Service members are trained to push their physical and mental limits, operating under immense pressure to perform and conform to high standards. However, underlying the responsibilities of uniformed service and duty, there exists a frequently unspoken struggle with eating disorders. The Unseen Enemy Eating…

Healing from an eating disorder isn’t a linear process, and recovery doesn’t look like a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. A common misconception—and a harmful one at that—is that a successful recovery is one that doesn’t have any setbacks and is a “complete” recovery. We need to redefine what “success” actually means when it comes to recovering from an eating disorder, shifting…

Why “The Idol,” “Euphoria,” and Other Shows Need to Be More Responsible About ED Representation In recent years, television has leaned harder into darker, more provocative explorations of mental illness, of trauma, of self-harm, and of identity, especially among adolescents. Shows like “Euphoria” and “The Idol” are praised for their boldness, their cinematic aesthetics, and their unflinching look at brokenness.…

Amenorrhea, or the absence of menstruation, affects many individuals with eating disorders due to hormonal disruptions caused by weight loss, malnutrition, and purging. This can lead to complications such as low estrogen, reduced bone density, and fertility concerns, though fertility often normalizes with recovery. Weight restoration and nutritional rehabilitation are key to resuming menstruation. Amenorrhea & Eating Disorders Amenorrhea is…

You reach into the cabinet for a small after-dinner snack. Soon, you realize you’re grazing, nibbling or snacking after dinner every night of the week. You may think you have no willpower or self-control. But in reality, you could have an eating disorder called night eating syndrome (NES). While you may not have heard about NES, it’s actually more common…

Dear Alliance Community, Today, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders turns 25. 25 years?! Even as I sit here to write these words, I honestly cannot believe it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be here. What began as the most personal of journeys — my own recovery from an eating disorder — has become…

As humans, we learn from others, lean on others, and rely on others to give us hope in times of need. We have a universal need to share and hear each other’s stories, whether for mere entertainment or for a deeper benefit. When it comes to recovering from an eating disorder, hearing stories from others who have been through similarly…