Here at the Columbia Center for Eating Disorders, we have been counting down the days to this year’s National Eating Disorders Association’s (NEDA) Annual Conference in beautiful San Diego, California. NEDA, founded in 2001, has become the United States’ leading non-profit organization supporting eating disorder treatment and prevention.
On October 1st-3rd, those suffering from eating disorders will come together with recovered individuals, family members, friends, researchers, and educators to share experiences with one another and learn about these complicated illnesses. This year’s conference theme,” Sea Change: The next wave in eating disorders treatment, support & prevention,” is focused on progress and innovation in the field.
Members of our team appreciate the opportunity to attend this conference and other conferences about eating disorders research. These meetings offer an opportunity to learn from others, to share our findings, and (at NEDA especially) to thank a community of people directly affected by these illnesses for participating in and supporting our work.
Where can you find us at NEDA this year? On Saturday, October 3rd, 3:45-5:30 pm, Dr. Joanna Steinglass will be participating with three other panelists in a session titled, “Feeding Hope: Advancements and Innovation in Eating Disorders Research.” The Feeding Hope Fund offers grants to researchers to enhance our understanding of the suffering, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders.
Dr. Steinglass, a 2015 Feeding Hope award recipient, will be discussing her grant – “Changing Habits in Anorexia Nervosa: A Novel Approach.” She will discuss new findings on the neural mechanisms of anorexia nervosa and how the Columbia team is using what we’ve learned about cognitive neuroscience to direct us in the development of the next wave of treatment for this condition.
Many other exciting topics of discussion will be covered throughout the week by colleagues in the field. This includes talks on the impact of media on youth, of families on recovery and activist engagement, and of neurobiology on symptoms and treatment development.
If you’re an NYC local and can’t make it to San Diego for the meeting, there are opportunities for involvement right here in the City as well. On Sunday, October 4th, we invite you to come meet us at the annual NYC NEDA Walk as we raise support for eating disorder treatment and prevention. This is one of our favorite events, because it brings together individuals from the eating disorder community to share experiences while walking one of our city’s landmarks, the Brooklyn Bridge.
Whether you’re an East coaster or a West coaster, we hope to see you soon at one of these NEDA events!
