Treatment organization drives launch of day to celebrate recovery from eating disorders

Next Tuesday (May 3), a number of events and initiatives will converge to state loudly that recovery from an eating disorder can be achieved.

The first-ever Eating Recovery Day has been in the planning stages for about a year, out of the efforts of multi-state treatment facility Eating Recovery Center. The treatment organization's director of digital marketing says leaders of the center sought to build awareness of the pervasiveness of eating disorders and to spread hope about recovery.

“I think this is an opportunity that just hasn't been fully seized,” says Eating Recovery Center's Kat Saks. Eating Recovery Center has treatment locations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

The signature event for Eating Recovery Day will be a 10:30 a.m. (Eastern) May 3 media event and panel taking place in New York City. Eating Recovery Center will live-stream the event on its Facebook page. Speakers will include a senior clinical director in the treatment organization, Bonnie Brennan, who will discuss the present state of eating disorders, as well as author Jenni Schaefer (the center's national recovery advocate for its Family Institute) and actress and celebrity recovery ambassador Candace Cameron Bure. Schaefer has been coordinating an effort to encourage bloggers to post content about recovery from eating disorders.

Organizers are also urging individuals and groups to use the hashtag #EatingRecoveryDay to share stories of inspiration about recovery.Stories already on the Eating Recovery Center website from program alumni include comments such as this one that advocates the takinmg of action to pursue treatment, from 28-year-old Jordan: “The longer you wait, the harder it is to separate the disorder from who you are.”

At 1 p.m. Eastern time on May 3, a Twitter party will take place to fuel a social media conversation about recovery.

Saks adds that as part of the event planning, more than 380 free recovery ambassador kits featuring brochures and other materials have been distributed to professionals, colleges, families and other entities.