Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses, and yet, that a majority of diagnosed, suffering adults will not seek treatment for their symptoms or concerns. We know that early treatment is critical when navigating the challenging landscape of an eating disorder. The longer one delays care, the greater the risks are for an extended duration of illness, heightened social isolation, increased body shape concerns, deeper internalization of eating disorder-related cognitive distortions, and worsened mental and physical outcomes, including a heightened mortality risk.  ..read more

Seeking eating disorder care for your child can be an overwhelming decision. Their illness has already robbed them of so much, and you can’t help but wonder: Won’t treatment mean sacrificing even more? Maybe it can wait until a better time, you reason – when school is out, or social activities have settled down. For now, you just want your child to have some semblance of normalcy.  It’s understandable to want to shield your child from interruptions to their life, especially when they’re already struggling. However, postponing eating disorder treatment often only leads to greater pain ..read more

My name is Sydney Engberg (she/her) and I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), MS, LD, CPT (Certified Personal Trainer), at The Emily Program’s Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been with The Emily Program since August of 2021 ..read more

I am Parkavi Chellappa (she/her), MD, the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services in . I have been with The Emily Program for almost seven years. How does a collaborative approach to eating disorder treatment benefit clients? Eating disorders are usually sneaky and try to find loopholes to get away with behaviors, even when the client genuinely wants to get better. This eating disorder characteristic can often get in the way of a client’s recovery. By having all the disciplines providing care to a client under one roof, working toward the same goals collaboratively, we can plug t ..read more

This blog was written by a Behavioral Health Specialist at our St. Louis Park, MN treatment center I want to take a moment to say happy Pride month. I hope you feel recognized and celebrated, and may this June set the precedent for how you are acknowledged year-round.   1. PRIDE month is a celebration of all queer-identifying people! The LGBTQIA+ community has grown tremendously in recent years, both in terms of representation and visibility. Alongside the growth in numbers, the community has also continuously diversified. While gender and sexual identities have become more represent ..read more

For many, summertime means vacations, long, warm days, and a much-appreciated break from school or work. It is a season of sunshine and recreation. For the millions of people with an eating disorder, however, summer often means something much more difficult than carefree leisure and freedom. As the school year ends and summer approaches, now is the time to plan for and address the common challenges facing people with eating disorders during the summer. In this article, we discuss some key factors that make this season difficult for those affected by these illnesses and describe how provid ..read more

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed. Nicole Byars’s (she/her) multi-years of experience as an accomplished trauma-informed yoga specialist and best-selling author has given her the unique tools to help others step into transformative thinking, creating optimum outcomes both professionally and personally. With 500 hours of training as a registered yoga teacher, she ..read more

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed. My name is Brooklynn Raacke. I’ve overcome anorexia and am now a survivor. Through living with an eating disorder, I have been able to foster empathy and understanding for human struggles. While I would never wish disordered eating upon anybody, I am grateful for what my journey has taught me. I entered my first dance class at ..read more

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed. Jason* is passionate about supporting other males in eating disorder recovery. If you are interested in connecting with Jason, you can send him an email at *Last name omitted at the author’s request ..read more

My name is Christine Ringo (she/her/hers) and I am the Talent Acquisition Team Lead for (the parent company of The Emily Program, ). I have been with Accanto since October of 2018. I started at Veritas’ eating disorder treatment center in , and have worked in four roles within the organization, including Therapeutic Assistant (TA) or Behavioral Health Technician (BHT), Site Trainer, Talent Acquisition Business Partner (TABP), and TA Team Lead ..read more