Week of April 9 – April 15

Welcome to this week’s collection of public comments and thoughts from?NEDA leadership and members of our Clinical or Research Advisory Councils. Please note that some of these comments are not always reflective of NEDA’s current position(s); however, they provide continued insight and useful context around issues impacting our community. We invite you to read, learn, and build strength through shared experience and knowledge.

Wherever possible, we will provide links directly to the articles that meet?NEDA’s Media Guidelines. Articles containing content outside of our standards, will be noted by title, author, outlet, and date.?

'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You' actor Jordan Fisher says he was diagnosed with an eating disorder he 'did not know' he had

Kerry Justich

Yahoo, 4.12.23

Featuring Elizabet Altunkara, Director of Education

Elizabet Altunkara, Director of Education for?National Eating Disorders Association?(NEDA) tells Yahoo Life that Fisher's inability to identify the disordered eating habits himself doesn't come as a surprise. In fact, the lack of awareness of eating disorders among males likely contributed to his unknowing. "Due to the stereotype that eating disorders only affect women, men are less likely to recognize the signs, seek and receive help for their eating disorder," Altunkara explains. "We know that eating disorders don't discriminate and affect people of all genders, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body size and shapes. About one in three people struggling with an eating disorder is male and subclinical disordered eating behaviors, such as binge eating, purging, and restricting, are nearly as common among men as they are among women."?

CSU Body Project combats ‘ideal beauty standard’

DJ Vicente

Collegian, 4.13.23

Featuring NEDA/Body Project Trainer and CSU Director of Health Alejandra Quesada-Stoner

“My friends and I have struggled with body image and how we feel about ourselves and our self-esteem,” Quesada-Stoner said. “Originally when I started as the director of health for ASCSU, I was looking for something that was along the realm of helping improve body image while also having that sustainability component of, ‘Will this last after I graduate (and) after I’m gone?’ Quesada-Stoner mentioned her struggles with a negative body image as well as an eating disorder. She also delved into the work done by the?National Eating Disorders Association, which originally created The Body Project and helped train Quesada-Stoner and other peer leaders. NEDA offers?college facilitator training, outlining options for training and the guiding questions provided by NEDA for distributing The Body Project to campuses.?READ MORE

Ariana Grande's viral video reminds us why body comments can be "especially harmful"

Sara Moniuszko

CBS News, 4.13.23

Featuring Elizabet Altunkara, Director of Education

"Making comments about physical appearance has been so normalized in our society that it is hard for some to understand why this could be problematic and should be avoided," says Elizabet Altunkara, director of education at the?National Eating Disorders Association. "We cannot know what a person is going through physically or mentally by just looking at them. Commenting on someone's physical appearance can perpetuate issues, such as negative body image, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, that the person might already be dealing with." Body comments are also inappropriate because they are "heavily influenced by the appearance ideal promoted in our culture," Altunkara says. "Bodies are diverse, unique and beautiful, and body diversity should be celebrated," she adds.??

Des Linden, who made history with 2018 Boston Marathon win, reveals pressure runners face to ‘get really light as quickly as possible’

Megan Johnson

Yahoo Life, 4.14.23

Featuring Elizabet Altunkara, Director of Education

Elizabet Altunkara, director of education for National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), tells Yahoo Life why this can be an issue in competitive sports. "The emphasis on body weight and shape and the pressure to win can create a toxic combination for athletes and can put them at risk to develop disordered eating," she says. "The emphasis on thinness in our culture, societal expectations that athletes should look a certain way, perfectionism, which is a common attribute among athletes, as well as body dissatisfaction that may arise from all these factors can lead athletes to disordered eating behaviors, which can rapidly turn into an eating disorder."?

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