For 18 years, Agness Walewinder struggled with bulimia, binge eating, and compulsive food behaviors. She tried countless approaches — nutrition, then therapy, and even spirituality — but it wasn’t until she learned to integrate the body, mind, and heart that she finally found sustainable recovery.

Looking for support on your healing journey? These eating disorder podcasts provide expert insights, personal stories, and encouragement.

The term “gentle nutrition” can feel kind of buzzwordy—is it worth paying attention to and/or safe for those of us healing from an eating disorder? Here’s what you need to know.

People have made inflammatory claims that food, particularly sugar, is as addictive as drugs. But are those claims backed by science?

Project HEAL Volunteer Blog Manager, Tara Criscuolo, dives into the science behind bingeing, the state of the research on food addiction, and how to stop feeling out of control around food.

Andy’s journey with Binge Eating Disorder was marked by years of silent struggle, shame, and misunderstanding. From childhood habits of secretly consuming food to the isolation and stigma he faced as an adult, he felt trapped in a cycle he couldn’t escape. It wasn’t until he found a treatment center that truly understood his experience that he gained the tools and self-compassion to heal. Through his recovery, his family also learned to approach his disorder with empathy and support.

Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to identify the oral manifestations of eating disorders, but many don’t know the warning signs or how to have a conversation with a patient they’re worried about. As an aspiring dental practitioner and someone who has personally experienced disordered eating, Wehazit Mussie realized that there was a gap in research and literature that, if filled, could help many struggling individuals. Here is what she wishes all dental professionals knew.

Trauma and anxiety are often interconnected with eating disorders. Understanding this connection is key to healing. Here’s what you need to know.

Some eating disorder experts say that it take an average of 7 years to fully recover, but when patients are early in the healing process, hearing a long recovery timeline can feel very overwhelming.

Nia Patterson first heard the “7 years” estimate in group therapy at a treatment center back in 2017. Over the last 7 years, they’ve gone through many phases of healing. Today, they’re living a life that looks a lot different than what they expected.

Weight stigma is not a new issue in our world—and yet it can be incredibly painful, hurtful, and long-lasting, due to its systemic impact. Here’s what you need to know about healing from weight stigma.

Mia Morris was only nine years old when she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. After cycling through treatment and partial recovery several times, she finally met Nurse Svetlana.

This blog explores how diet culture and the weight loss industry exploit messages of self-acceptance, like those in the song “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman, to promote harmful products such as GLP-1 medications. It examines the pervasive influence of diet culture, its connection to the rise of eating disorders, and the staggering financial motivations behind these industries, which prioritize profit over public wellbeing. By sharing personal experiences and data on the mental health crisis, the blog underscores the urgent need to challenge these narratives and build a future where self-worth is not dictated by body size.

Diet culture tells us that there’s nothing more important than striving for perfection—find out why this quickly and easily leads to disordered eating.

In many cases, an eating disorder emerges as a way for teens to cope with overwhelming emotions or situations they feel powerless to change. The eating disorder becomes a survival skill and asking teens to reduce behaviors, especially if they’re not in the drivers seat of their own treatment plan, can exacerbate feelings of helplessness or rebellion.

Over the past 11 years, Edie Stark has worked alongside clients and their parents as they navigated the complex road towards eating disorder recovery. Time and time again, she’s found teen autonomy to play a vital role in sustained healing.

In our CEO’s latest blog, Akiera Gilbert reflect on the challenges many face in accessing eating disorder care and the incredible impact we've been able to make together this year. From expanding our services to reaching those who need us most, to developing partnerships for which we are eternally grateful, we’re building a community where healing and support are always available.

Access to movement/exercise in eating disorder treatment spaces and in the outpatient world can be controversial to discuss. But Dr. Michelle Laging, an eating disorder-informed physical therapist, found incorporating gentle movement into an inpatient eating disorder rehabilitation program to be incredibly beneficial to her clients’ mental and physical health.

BMI-based diagnosis criteria is incredibly harmful for people with eating disorders. When Emilija Krysén received the diagnosis of Atypical Anorexia, instead of regular Anorexia Nervosa, she felt like a fraud — like her eating disorder didn’t count.

Many people fit into a “gray area” when it comes to eating disorder behaviors. Perhaps they experience purging, but not bingeing. Or they show signs of bulimia, except their symptoms don’t occur consistently. Or maybe they present with symptoms of multiple eating disorders, or shift between diagnoses.

Meagan Kirby-McDowell grew up right outside the nation’s capital, with some of the best hospitals and physicians in the country. But, as the child of a service member, she still faced barriers to eating disorder care.

Project HEAL and SEA WAVES Bridge Gaps in Access to Eating Disorder Care in the Military Community