Talking Back to Popular Myths About Your Postpartum Body

There is enormous cultural pressure to have our bodies look and feel the same after pregnancy and childbirth. These narratives about “getting your body back” are presented as a focus on health, but there is nothing healthy about the expectation that your body will be unchanged by birthing a baby. This version of what it […]

Learning to Live Well with Depression and Eating Disorders

The relationship between eating disorders and depression is a complex problem to understand, treat, and research. The parable of the three blind men who encounter an elephant illustrates the problem faced by patients and their providers. It is easy to misperceive that the elephant is only a long hose (trunk), a rope (tail), or the […]

5 ‘Star Wars’ Quotes to Inspire Recovery

Star Wars, one of the most epic stories of all time, debuted 40 years ago today. A classic example of the hero’s journey, Star Wars has become a staple in our cinematic culture, but the lessons have always gone beyond the screen. Even if you have never seen the film, everyone knows about “the Force” and […]

What I Learned When I Took a Year Off From Exercise

It was a hot May afternoon in Florida when my mom told me I was no longer allowed to exercise until I reached a healthy weight. She had already asked that I not post pictures of myself on Facebook, for fear that future employers might see what I was going through. I was stressed out, […]

Using Dance to Raise Awareness About Mental Illness

It seems as though I’ve been dancing almost as long as I could talk. I can still remember the days of pink tutus and ribbon-tied tap shoes. The unmistakable smell of hairspray on show days, and the adrenaline rush that a successful performance always resulted in. Never did I think, however, that one day dance […]

Eatings Disorders vs. Disordered Eating: What’s the Difference?

One of the most common questions I’ve received as both a clinician and an eating disorder survivor is how to know whether someone truly has an eating disorder. In this day and age, when food fads and diets come and go quickly and people so regularly, casually discuss the manner in which they “eat their […]

Navigating Pregnancy as a Fat Woman

When I got pregnant, my midwife insisted I take the gestational diabetes test repeatedly because she couldn’t believe my blood sugar was normal. The extra testing proved over and over that my baby and I were healthy, but my midwife never seemed convinced. —Anna  Being pregnant in a sizeist culture presents unique challenges to all […]

‘I Want Black Disabled Girls to be Seen and Heard in Mainstream Media’

It’s no secret that disabled people are underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media. Just last year, Variety reported that 95% of disabled characters in the nation’s top 10 television shows are portrayed by able-bodied actors. Many disabled self-advocates have been speaking up against the continued lack of representation and acceptance. We chatted with journalist Keah […]

Recognizing, Treating, and Coping with Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common, but least understood, eating disorder in the United States. Intuitive eating and Health at Every Size® may be helpful tools for those in recovery, but public understanding of these concepts is limited. NEDA hosted a special presentation, supported by Shire, to enhance public understanding of these topics. […]

The Power of a Smile…and a Second Chance

I remember the first time a dentist told me I might need dentures. I was barely 30 years old. I couldn’t believe it. I knew my teeth were bad. I knew that eating disorders were to blame. But dentures? Me? Seriously? I had always had great teeth growing up. I wore braces as a teenager […]