Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are significant health problems in the United States. An estimated 28.8 million Americans will develop an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC).
Eating disorders are also the second deadliest mental health condition (behind only opioid use disorder), per the EDC. That’s why early treatment is so crucial.
But only 1 in 10 people diagnosed with an eating disorder receive treatment for their conditions, according to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.
One contributor to this disparity is lack of access to the right care. For instance, 80 percent of women and girls who seek treatment for an eating disorder don’t get the level of care they need and are often sent home from care facilities far sooner than they should be, per the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.
This is often due in part to the lack of insurance coverage for eating disorder treatment. On average, many with eating disorders need three to six months of inpatient treatment, with each month costing an average $30,000, DMH states. And many insurance providers don’t cover the cost of treatment.
“Many of these [treatment facilities] are only accessible by people with excellent insurance coverage,” says Cynthia Bulik, PhD, the founding director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders in Chapel Hill. “Very few facilities are available for people who are un- or underinsured. Often, there is simply nowhere for them to receive treatment.”
Another barrier to care is the lack of facilities and staff trained to treat eating disorders in the United States, Dr. Bulik adds. “Many regions are eating disorders treatment deserts, [with] no specialist treatment facilities in the area,” she says.
Despite these barriers to care, there’s still hope for people with eating disorders to receive the help they need. “There are several online, helpful organizations for people with eating disorders and their families,” says Bulik.
Here are seven top organizations that offer help and support to those with eating disorders and their loved ones.
1. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
ANAD is a leading nonprofit organization that provides numerous modes of support for people with eating disorders. They offer support groups, both for those recovering from eating disorders themselves and for their loved ones.
They also offer education on eating disorders, host live events for those who would like in-person or virtual support, and have an eating disorder helpline that you can call Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST to get support, referrals for care, and more.
ANAD also offers a Recovery Mentor program. This program connects you with a support person who has successfully recovered from an eating disorder and can offer you empathy, wisdom, and hope as you embark on your own recovery journey.
2. Eating Disorder Hope
Eating Disorder Hope is an online community founded by licensed therapist Jacquelyn Ekern that offers support to both individuals with eating disorders and their loved ones.
They offer myriad resources and support, including educational resources about eating disorders written by mental health professionals, such as therapists and psychiatrists. They also provide an eating disorder treatment finder to help you locate a treatment facility that specializes in eating disorder care near you.
You can also find featured blogs that inspire healing and hope featuring personal stories from people who have recovered from an eating disorder.
3. Project HEAL
It’s clear that most people with eating disorders in the United States often don’t receive the care they need to fully recover from it. Project HEAL’s mission is to break down barriers that prevent this healing and offer support in ways such as insurance navigation assistance, cash assistance, meal support, free support groups, education, and more.
In its insurance navigation program, Project HEAL offers individualized assistance to help people understand their insurance plan and benefits, and offers guidance for insurance appeals to help get coverage for treatment if possible.
Project HEAL’s cash assistance program offers grants to individuals with demonstrated financial need to help them access the treatment they need. Covered expenses include copays, deductibles, groceries, medications, and more.
4. Eating Recovery Center
Eating Recovery Center (ERC) is a network of treatment facilities for those with eating disorders. It’s affiliated with Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center, which offers treatment for depressive, anxiety, or trauma-related conditions.
ERC has locations across the United States which offer outpatient, inpatient, and residential treatment programs. They offer treatment for children, teens, and adults, as well as specific programs and resources for LGBTQ+ people with eating disorders. They also offer support groups for ERC alumni, as well as caregivers.
ERC takes a comprehensive, individualized, and evidence-based approach to treatment. It’s in-network with all major commercial insurance companies and offers a free assessment to help yourself or a loved one get started with treatment at ERC.
5. Fighting Eating Disorders in Underrepresented Populations (FEDUP)
FEDUP is a trans, intersex, and gender-diverse collective with a mission to raise awareness about and reduce the high rate of eating disorders among trans and gender-diverse people, as well as make eating disorder treatment more accessible to people in marginalized communities.
FEDUP offers a number of resources for transgender, intersex, and gender-diverse people with eating disorders, including educational information about eating disorders, Facebook groups, a directory of external support groups for people in LGBTQ+ communities, and a directory of affirming therapists, counselors, registered dietitians, and recovery coaches.
The collective also has a gender-affirming surgeon guide, an accessible treatment scorecard to help people seeking treatment learn whether a treatment center is accessible and gender-affirming, and provider training and workshops to help improve gender literacy and trans-affirmation in health practices and treatment facilities.
6. National Alliance for Eating Disorders
The National Alliance for Eating Disorders (“The Alliance”) is a leading national nonprofit organization offering support, referrals, and education to people with eating disorders and their loved ones.
The Alliance has a treatment center and practitioner directory, free support groups, and a toll-free helpline (866-662-1235) for treatment referrals. Run by licensed therapists who specialize in treating eating disorders, the helpline is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
Its website also offers information about specific eating disorders and resources for loved ones, including dos and don’ts for helping a loved one in eating disorder recovery.
7. Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA)
MEDA is the leading eating disorder nonprofit organization in the New England area, with a mission to educate the public about eating disorders and their causes and support people with eating disorders at the various stages of their healing journey.
MEDA offers outpatient clinical services for people with eating disorders and support for their loved ones, as well as directories of treatment providers and treatment centers that it partners with in the New England area. It also offers online therapy groups and a recovery community that includes webinars, recovery tools, and guided meditations, among other resources.
It’s currently in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Optum Companies (Harvard Pilgrim, UBH, and Health Plans, Inc.), Tufts Health Plans, and Medicare.
Additional reporting by Christina Vogt.
