ELA Collaborators

A Chance To Heal      

ACTH aims to prevent the incidence and reduce the impact of eating disorders, in addition to promoting the importance of positive body image by educating and influencing parents, young people, educators, and health care providers.  Programming includes: medical education, high school programming, and ParentTalk (conversational workshops for parents on preventing eating disorders and raising healthy children).

Active Minds      

Active Minds utilizes the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses.  By developing and supporting chapters of a student-run mental health awareness, education, and advocacy group on campus, the organization works to increase students’ awareness of mental health issues, provide information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness, encourage students to seek help as soon as it is needed, and serve as liaison between students and the mental health community through campus-wide events and national programs.

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness   

The Alliance disseminates educational information to parents and caregivers about the warning signs, dangers, and consequences of anorexia, bulimia, and other related disorders.  Staff offer presentations, seminars, workshops, phone and e-mail support, treatment referrals, support groups, and informational packets free of charge.  The staff members are also strong advocates for change in eating disorder legislation.

Andrea’s Voice  

Andrea's Voice Foundation (AVF) is a non-profit organization formed in honor of Andrea, Tom & Doris' 19-year-old daughter who died after one year of bulimic behaviors. AVF is devoted to the prevention of eating disorders through education and a focus on a Health At Every Size approach to body image, health and fitness. AVF offers not only support and resources to sufferers and their loved ones, but a unique "Family & Friends Support Group Curriculum" based on their radio interviews with experts in the field (coming soon).

Association for Size Diversity and Health      

ASDAH is an international professional organization composed of individual members who are committed to Health At Every Size principles.  Their mission is to promote education, research, and the provision of services which enhance health and well-being, and which are free from weight-based assumptions and weight discrimination.

Beyond Blackboards

Beyond Blackboards is a non-profit organization, which promotes healthy weight management and the prevention of eating disorders in both high school and college women.  One of their initiatives is Student Bodies, an eight-week course combining an understanding of body image and self-esteem with self-assessment and self-improvement tools.  It includes information about nutrition, exercise, eating disorders, and how to become media savvy. 

Eating Disorder HOPE   

EDH offers information, eating disorder treatment options, recovery tools, and resources to those suffering from eating disorders, their treatment providers and loved ones.  In addition, they provide support group information, and articles for those individuals struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorders.  Check out their blogs, social networking sites, and clubs. 

Eating Disorder Network of Maryland

Eating Disorder Network of Maryland, a nonprofit, was founded in June of 2007.  Their goal is to provide education and resources about eating disorders to the general community.  They do this by offering: support groups, community outreach, professional education, support for parents and friends, and by providing an online referral database listing clinicians and professionals specializing in working with those with eating disorders throughout the state of Maryland.

The Elisa Project

The Elisa Project is dedicated to the prevention and effective treatment of eating disorders through the following program goals: Public Awareness (educate the public to understand, prevent, and destigmatize eating disorders), Community Education and Support (empower those affected by eating disorders to understand and manage their health care needs and to communicate effectively with their family, friends, and healthcare professionals), Professional Education, and Advocacy.

Fat Talk Free Week

Fat Talk Free Week is an international, 5-day campaign to draw attention to body image issues and the damaging impact of the 'thin ideal' on women.  It is an annual public awareness effort that serves the cause campaign inspired by Tri Delta's award-winning body image education and eating disorders prevention program, Reflections.  The primary purpose of Fat Talk Free Week is to help women of all ages: establish and maintain a positive body image; challenge people to speak and think differently about their bodies; and promote a healthy lifestyle that urges individuals to live a balanced life in mind, body, and spirit.

F.E.A.S.T

F.E.A.S.T is a non-profit organization of and for parents and caregivers to help loved ones recover from eating disorders.  The site provides information, mutual support, and evidence-based treatment, in addition to research and education in order to reduce the suffering associated with eating disorders.  Services include: Around the Dinner Table, an online forum for parents and carers that supports families; audio recovery stories; a research blog; informational resources; and a Speakers Bureau of parents for media, events, and educational seminars.

Finding Balance       

FINDINGbalance, Inc. is a faith-based, non-profit health and wellness organization with an emphasis on eating and body image issues including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified). With as many as three out of four women (and millions of men) identifying with some sort of eating issue, including overeating, chronic dieting and excessive exercising, our mission is to remove the stigma associated with these issues, promote prevention, and provide tools that support a balanced recovery journey and lifestyle. 

Healthy Minds

HMS is an annual, national survey that examines mental health issues among college students.  Topics in the survey include: mental health measures (depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and body image, suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury, functional impairment); help-seeking behavior (perceived need for help, psychotropic medication use, utilization of therapy/ counseling); potential barriers and facilitators to accessing healthcare (stigma, knowledge, and beliefs about treatment, satisfaction with services); perceived supportiveness of academic and social environment; and outcomes that may be related to mental health, such as substance abuse and academic performance.

Hope Network

Hope Network supports and educates families through workshops, articles, links to resources, tele-classes and individual support. Tele-classes provide a space for parents to explore feelings and get help with one of life's most challenging experiences: being a family member of someone with an eating disorder.  You will learn from professionals and peers who have experience in moving forward with their lives during these illnesses.

I.CARED

I.CARED is dedicated to providing a network of resources to assist in the prevention, screening, and treatment of eating disorders in Massachusetts.

Mainely Girls  

This organization oversees the Eating Disorder Learning Collaborative, an initiative in Maine that has established teams trained to provide coordinated health care treatment for those with eating disorders.  Teams consist of at least one medical practitioner, therapist, and registered dietician.  The EDLC provides initial training and ongoing performance improvement and support related to best practices for treating anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and eating disorders not otherwise specified.

Maudsley Parents

Maudsley Parents is a volunteer organization run by parents in collaboration with a panel of leading experts in child and adolescent eating disorders, which offers information on eating disorders and family-based treatment (FBT).  Their website provides video and print materials, referrals to specialists in family-based treatment, a monthly "Ask an Expert" column, family stories of recovery, supportive parent-to-parent advice, and other resources for families who opt for family-based treatment.

The National Association for Males with Eating Disorders, Inc.

N.A.M.E.D. is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting males with eating disorders and their families, in addition to being a resource of information on the subject.  Their helpline for information, support, and treatment referrals is: (877) 780-0080.  

Normal in Schools  

NORMAL In Schools is the national non-profit organization that educates about eating disorders, body image and self-esteem in schools and universities, as well as in medical, educational and arts conferences. With more than twelve programs that highlight the therapeutic impact of the arts in building resilience and self-esteem, the NIS nonprofit has won numerous awards. Most notably, their programs have clinically shown to inspire individuals to seek treatment for eating disorders and have served as the bridge between the education systems and healing for more than 5 years.   

Ophelia’s Place

Ophelia’s Place is a non-profit organization committed to empowering individuals, families, and communities to redefine beauty and health through initiatives that increase self-esteem, improve body image and introduce alternatives to dangerous desires for perfection; and to providing outreach, advocacy and educational services to those impacted by eating disorders, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.  

U-SHAPE

U-SHAPE, the first ever multi-campus, large-scale study of its kind, aims to understand the habits, attitudes, and perceptions of undergraduate and graduate students related to eating and body image.  An annual, national survey, U-SHAPE is designed to gather important information about students' relationships with eating, dieting, exercise, and body image, and how these relationships, in turn, fit into a larger picture of student health and well-being.  U-SHAPE is administered to a randomly selected sample of undergraduate and graduate students at participating institutions.  An important contribution to the field of college student mental health, U-SHAPE addresses the diversity of disordered eating habits and attitudes among the diversity of students on college campuses today.