Eating disorders are about far more than food, weight, or appearance—they can profoundly shape how people understand themselves, manage difficult emotions, and navigate the world around them. Because so much of an eating disorder happens beneath the surface, understanding the emotional and psychological dimensions of the illness is essential to recognizing the challenges of recovery.…
Courts are beginning to answer some of the questions surrounding social media and young people, and Meta’s $17 billion settlement with 47 states is the clearest example yet. The agreement doesn’t just involve money. It requires significant changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate for young users — from daily time limits and school-hour notification…
For years, the legal and cultural reckoning surrounding social media has been compared to another transformative moment in American history: Big Tobacco. The comparison is understandable. In both cases, questions have emerged about what powerful companies knew about their products, what they disclosed to the public, how those products were marketed to young people, and…
Kids who have their own smartphones at age 12 are more likely to develop eating disorder symptoms than their peers without the devices, according to a new study. The research, published Friday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, comes from a wide-ranging survey of nearly 9,000 adolescents across the United States. Click here to…
Join EDRC on Saturday, November 7, at 10am PST, for the newest installment of our Ask the Experts series with Betsy Brenner as the keynote speaker. In her talk, Betsy will share her experiences with anorexia in midlife and her healing process. Register for free today! View the event flyer. Learn more about Ask the…
Available now: The Social Media Driver’s License — a first-of-its-kind online program from Ready Set Screen designed to help kids ages 10–14 navigate smartphones and social media responsibly before unhealthy habits take hold. Built for real families, the program combines engaging, self-paced lessons for kids with practical audio guidance for parents and caregivers. Together, they…
Doctors are growing increasingly concerned that weight-loss drugs are driving new cases of anorexia, and that few safeguards are in place to protect patients with eating disorders. Tens of millions of patients now take these medications, which can sometimes cause symptoms that mirror the effects of anorexia: hair loss, dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, extreme calorie deficits.…
EDC is excited to share a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides the first national estimates of binge eating among U.S. high school students. Published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Supplements, the report analyzes the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the first YRBS to…
We have a brutal double standard about women’s bodies. When women are larger, we shame them. When they gain weight, we ask ourselves what’s wrong. When they are thinner, we congratulate them. When they become extremely thin, we can become fascinated and also alarmed. In other words: We punish women for taking up space and…
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can learn more about various care options here. EDRC provides support groups and maintains a list of treatment programs in the Bay Area. You can also support EDRC’s mission further by making a tax deductible donation.