Author: Rhea Lewandoski R.D.
World Eating Disorders Action Day was founded in 2015 by a handful of advocates who wanted to bring together individuals like eating disorder activists, professionals, parents/carers, volunteers, and those personally affected by eating disorders to support action. Since 2015 this global campaign for awareness and change has provided an abundance of education and increased action towards comprehensive treatment for eating disorders.
The theme for 2022 is “Caring for Carers”. This year’s focus is on those who care for people affected by eating disorders. Eating disorders impact more than just the individual, they impact their community – family, friends, caregivers, and more.
By visiting worldeatingdisordersday.org or World Eating Disorders Action Day on Facebook you can find the following information. Caring for carers - how you can help support yourself and your loved one experiencing and eating disorder.
Check-in – Check- in with your loved one about what they need for support.
Reflect – Complete reflections on your relationship with your body, food, and movement. Seek support as needed.
Self-care – Do what you can to take care of yourself.
Advocate – Your knowledge and your loved one’s knowledge is important. Continue to advocate with them.
Honor your loved ones voiced – Recognize your loved one is more than their experience with an eating disorder. Their voice beyond the eating disorder deserves to be heard.
In addition to the varied themes, World Eating Disorders Action Day continues to put a call out for the following:
Education – A call for all front-line providers to be educated in the identification and treatment of eating disorders.
Evidence-based Treatment – A call for accessible and affordable evidence-based treatment.
Public education – A call for evidence-based public education to end the stigma.
Evidence-based education programs – A call for the development of evidence-based health programs to decrease weight stigma.
Ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion – A call to increase all the above in research, narratives, media, and professionals working in the field. Eating disorders affect a wide variety of the world’s population.
We encourage you to get involved by following along and/or joining conversations about World Eating Disorder Action Day, attending an event, donating to an eating disorder organization, and/or lobbying for action by contacting your local representatives to advocate for change. If you are able, choose a way to support the treatment of eating disorders.
For more information visit https://www.worldeatingdisordersday.org.