A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

Lived Experience from ViaMar Health Alumni and Their Families The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, but for many in eating disorder recovery, and their families, it can also be overwhelming. Moments that are meant to be exciting and festive can instead feel stressful and triggering, sometimes bringing out eating disorder behaviors and the urge to…

How we talk about eating disorders (and who we picture when we talk about them) reveals modern media’s influence on our understanding of race, representation, and health care. This is a tricky intersection to parse apart. Our relationships with our bodies, racial identity, and mental health are parts of a complex web that makes up our experiences. Unfortunately, historical traumas…

What is ARFID? Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder where a person regularly avoids certain foods or limits how much they eat. This is not due to body image concerns but rather to: Low appetite or lack of interest in food/eating Strong reactions to how food feels, tastes, or smells Fear of choking, vomiting, allergic reaction, or…

Recovery from an eating disorder can have its ebbs and flows. Sometimes it feels like you’re cruising along—you got this. But very quickly, it can turn into the opposite, like you’re treading water and the waves are only getting bigger. When you feel like you’re losing momentum, it can help to remember that this rollercoaster ride is a normal part…

It’s estimated that 9% of Americans will have a diagnosable eating disorder (ED) throughout their lives. These mental illnesses are a pervasive epidemic, yet are treatable. However, only 20% of people with eating disorders receive care. This disparity is disturbing, but not unexpected. Barriers to eating disorder treatment exist at institutional, social, and physical levels, creating an interconnected system that’s…

Anyone who tuned into Oprah Winfrey’s 2024 TV special, “Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” likely walked away with one particular phrase reverberating in their head: “food noise.” The special, which focused on weight loss medications, covered the journeys of several people who have used these medications, including Winfrey. During the special and in subsequent interviews, Winfrey spoke about…

Holidays can feel warm and celebratory for many—yet for people with eating disorders, Thanksgiving often brings intense stress, shame, and old patterns to the surface. For anyone who has experienced disordered eating, the day’s focus on food, family, and appearance can trigger feelings that are not really about hunger or calories at all. This article explains why Thanksgiving can be…

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is often misunderstood as extreme picky eating, but for those experiencing it, the challenges run much deeper. At ViaMar Health, we approach ARFID treatment with compassion, collaboration, and a strong foundation in both nutrition and emotional safety. Our work focuses on helping clients rebuild trust in food, step by step, meal by meal, while equipping…

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…