National Eating Disorders Awareness Week arrives February 22–28, 2027, with a plain goal: help people spot eating disorders sooner and find support faster.
Late February, Every Year
Every year, Monday through Sunday, starting on the last Monday of February. In 2027, it runs February 22 to 28.
The National Anorexic Aid Society started it in Columbus, Ohio, in 1984. The National Eating Disorders Association, known as NEDA, runs it today.
NEDA posts each year’s theme and shareable graphics shortly before the week begins.
Ohio Roots
A conference set the first date. It opened alongside the society’s third National Eating Disorder Conference in Columbus.
Its first theme was “Be the person you are; It’s what’s inside that counts.” For the next two years, organizers spread the week across Ohio.
It went national in 1987. In 2001, Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention merged with the American Anorexia Bulimia Association to form NEDA.
From then on, the week became one of NEDA’s main yearly projects.
Amy Baker Dennis, a founding member of NEDA, is among those credited with building it.
Why Awareness Matters
Eating disorders are common. About 9% of Americans, nearly 31 million people, will have one in their lifetime, a 2020 report estimated.
They’re serious illnesses, not choices, according to NIMH. They can be life-threatening and often occur alongside depression, anxiety or substance use.
They “can affect anyone, regardless of age, body size, race, gender, or background,” NEDA stresses.
Men are often missed. The same report put lifetime prevalence at 4.07% for males and 8.60% for females, or about 6.6 million men.
Binge eating disorder is the most common type in those figures. It affects about 0.96% of women and 0.26% of men in a given year.
Care is uneven. NEDA’s data show people of color are roughly half as likely to be diagnosed or treated.
Young people of color face gaps too, by NEDA’s count. They’re less than two-thirds as likely as white youth to get recommended treatment.
College students often go without help. Only about 20% or fewer of students who screened positive said they received treatment.
Stigma and misinformation keep many people from care, NEDA warns. Its research summary cites one death every 52 minutes as a direct result of an eating disorder.
Treatment works. NIMH says eating disorders can be treated successfully, and early help improves the odds of full recovery.
How to Help
Free support is close at hand. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders runs a helpline staffed by licensed therapists at 866-662-1235, Monday through Friday during business hours, Eastern time.
Founded in October 2000, the Alliance staffs that line with therapists who specialize in eating disorders. Its free support groups meet seven days a week, online and in person.
- Learn the warning signs, such as a growing fixation on weight, body shape or controlling food.
- If you’re worried about a friend, read NEDA’s guide on how to help someone before you talk with them.
- Text ALLIANCE to 741-741 for support by text.
- Save the Alliance’s helpline number in your phone so it’s there when someone needs it.
- Avoid comments about anyone’s body or eating, at the family table, at work or online.
- Use NEDA’s Find Treatment map to look up care options in your own area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week the same every year?
Its timing is. It always begins on February’s last Monday.
Can someone recover from an eating disorder?
Recovery is possible, especially with early, specialized care.
Is there a screening tool in Spanish?
Yes. NEDA’s free online screening tool comes in Spanish as well as English.