Eating Disorder Awareness Week Activities

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is a time to reflect, learn, and take action to support people affected by eating disorders. Whether you’re a parent, a friend, an advocate, or someone in recovery yourself, there are concrete ways to participate and help foster understanding during this week, and year-round.

What Is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week?

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) is organized by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to increase public awareness about eating disorders, challenge stigma, and connect people with support. It’s generally observed in late February, sometimes extending into early March; NEDA’s 2026 campaign ran February 23 through March 1 under the theme “Every BODY Belongs.” NEDA cites an estimate that nearly 31 million Americans, or approximately 9% of the U.S. population, will experience an eating disorder during their lifetime, across all ages, sizes, races, genders, and backgrounds, which is part of why the campaign frames eating disorders as a widespread public health issue rather than something that affects only a narrow group of people.

Participating in NEDAW doesn’t require a personal connection to an eating disorder. It’s simply a structured opportunity to learn more, have conversations that are easy to put off the rest of the year, and point people toward real support if they need it.

Why Participate?

A few reasons people take part in NEDAW each year:

• Promote understanding: help others recognize that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, not lifestyle choices.
• Reduce stigma: open conversations can make it easier for someone struggling to ask for help.
• Support recovery: show people already in treatment or recovery that they’re not facing it alone.
• Point people toward real resources: awareness only helps if it’s connected to somewhere people can actually go next.

8 Ways to Get Involved

Looking for ways to participate? Here are eight things you can do during NEDAW:

1. Share accurate information online. NEDA’s official hashtag is #NEDAW; what matters more than the hashtag is sharing information that’s actually accurate, statistics, warning signs, and real resources, rather than vague inspirational content.
2. Attend a local or virtual event. NEDA and local treatment providers often host webinars or panels during the week; check community calendars for what’s available in your area.
3. Start a conversation. Talking openly with family, friends, or coworkers about eating disorders helps normalize the topic and can make it easier for someone to bring up their own struggles later.
4. Check in on someone you’re concerned about. A direct, nonjudgmental check-in may provide more personal support than a public post.
5. Support a loved one without judgment. If someone close to you is struggling, listening without trying to fix the situation or comment on their eating or appearance can be supportive.
6. Create or share something reflective. Art, writing, or a personal post about body image or recovery can resonate with someone who isn’t ready to talk about it directly yet.
7. Volunteer or advocate locally. Reach out to local treatment providers or advocacy groups to see what support they need during the week.
8. Learn the warning signs. Understanding is the first step toward noticing when someone, including yourself, might need support.

A 7-Day Practice for Self-Compassion and Mindful Eating

If you want to take NEDAW a step further, try spending one day on each of these small practices. They’re general reflection prompts, not treatment recommendations, if you’re currently working with a treatment team, check that any of these fit your individual care plan first, and skip anything that doesn’t.

Day 1: Notice What Your Body Does For You

Write down a few things you appreciate about your body that have nothing to do with appearance, something it lets you do, or a way it’s carried you through something hard.

Day 2: A Moment of Presence With a Meal

If it fits your situation, try noticing the flavors and textures of one meal a little more than usual. If structured meals, supported eating, or specific mealtime routines are part of your treatment plan, follow that plan instead, this is optional, not a replacement for individualized care.

Day 3: Non-Appearance Affirmations

Start the day with a couple of statements about yourself that have nothing to do with how you look.

Day 4: A Short Social Media Reset

Mute or unfollow a few accounts that consistently make you feel worse about your body, even temporarily.

Day 5: Compliment Something Other Than Appearance

Tell someone you appreciate a quality of theirs that isn’t about how they look.

Day 6: Share If You Want To

If it feels right, share part of your story with someone you trust, or with a wider audience if you’re comfortable. This is entirely optional.

Day 7: Reflect

Think back on the week. Notice what felt easy, what felt hard, and whether anything is worth carrying forward past NEDAW.

Resources to Help

If you’re not sure whether what you’re noticing in yourself or someone else warrants a closer look, NEDA offers a free online screening tool that can point you toward next steps, it’s a screening tool, not a diagnosis, and a professional evaluation is the only way to actually diagnose an eating disorder. At Eating Disorder Solutions, a few starting points:

• Take a Self-Screening: our Eating Disorder Test is an informational screening, not a diagnosis, and it’s a reasonable first step if you’re unsure whether to reach out for an assessment.
• Listen to Our Podcast: hear recovery stories and clinical perspective on our podcast.
• Explore Our Blog: read more on eating disorders and recovery in our blog section.

Reach Out for Support

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Reaching out for an evaluation is a reasonable, courageous first step, and what’s actually recommended afterward, outpatient therapy, nutrition counseling, or a more structured level of care, depends entirely on an individual clinical assessment, not on how the conversation starts. At Eating Disorder Solutions, our team can talk through what an evaluation involves and what care might look like for your specific situation.

References

National Eating Disorders Association. National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

National Eating Disorders Association. Eating Disorder Statistics.

National Institute of Mental Health. Eating Disorders.

Resources

National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: 1-866-662-1235

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

NEDA Screening Tool: nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool

Reviewed By: Clarissa Ledsome, LPC, LCDC, IEDS Clinical Director

Clarissa Ledsome, Clinical Director, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with over 10 years of experience in behavioral health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and two master’s degrees focused on addiction, recovery, professional counseling, and trauma, and has worked across residential, outpatient, and private practice settings with adolescents and adults. Clarissa now specializes in eating disorders, trauma, and addiction treatment, and is deeply committed to supporting individuals as they begin their healing journey.

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