National Eating Disorder Awareness Week – an annual event that falls on the last week of February – shines a light on those with eating disorders in order to provide them with community support.
Happy #NEDAwareness Week 2021! We invite ‘Every Body to Have a Seat at the Table.’ Join us throughout the week for roundtable discussions, blog posts, social media engagement, and more!
For more information and resources, visit https://t.co/uWC7q7dhmN pic.twitter.com/WB7Iv2ZIhc
— NEDA (@NEDAstaff) February 22, 2021
Eating disorders affect at least 9% of the global population – with the majority of those affected being women between the ages of 12-35. Eating disorders are also known to trigger other mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse – which can have a negative impact on a person’s overall physical health.
In order to tackle these issues on their platforms, companies such as Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest have joined the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to build strong initiatives around #NEDAwarenessWeek.
cw: eating disorders // adding my story for #NEDAwarenessِWeek – if anyone is struggling or has questions please feel free to reach out pic.twitter.com/pMdnXCQskF
— Matthew (@redcheeseenchis) February 24, 2021
To show their support, Instagram has added a collection of resources to assist people with eating disorders. When a user searches for a hashtag or shares content related to eating disorders – a prompt will appear and give useful guides and helpline contact numbers.
“These new resources will include contacts for local eating disorders hotlines in certain countries, such as Beat in the UK, National Eating Disorder Information Centre in Canada and Butterfly Foundation in Australia, as well as new advice on how to build body confidence that we built in partnership with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in the US”.
Additionally, Instagram will not promote content that could possibly trigger someone with an eating disorder. To promote a safe and inclusive environment, Instagram has also partnered with influencers to share body-positive reel videos across the platform.
Similarly, Pinterest will also direct users who search for keywords related to eating disorders to the NEDA website where they can access additional resources. They will also continue to not promote ads that body shame or advertise dangerous weight loss products.
NEDA’s Director of Communications Jennifer Solar shares their excitement about having Pinterest as a partner:
“Pinterest is where so many people go to learn new things and feel inspired. By partnering with Pinterest, we are able to extend our reach and provide tools to those who need them, whether they or a loved one are battling an eating disorder”.
Like the others, TikTok has also developed a new search prompt with NEDA – which contains resources to help those struggling with body issues.
TikTok stated:
“Starting this week, when a user searches for #edrecovery #proana or other phrases related to eating disorders, we’ll provide access to the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline where they can find help, support, and information about treatment options.”.
Moreover, TikTok announced that they are “introducing permanent public service announcements (PSAs) on hashtags like #whatieatinaday #emotionaleatingtips #bingerecovery and others aimed at driving awareness or fostering support around recovery and those affected by eating disorders. These PSAs were developed with input from NEDA”.
These initiatives by social media companies are great measures to promote body positivity and will play a vital role in the fight against eating disorders.