ANAD or National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders is the oldest association aimed at fighting eating disorders in the United States. Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric Diagnosis that describes an Eating disorder characterized by low Body weight and Body image distortion An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat or avoid eating that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health Founded by Vivian Meehan in 1976, ANAD assists people with eating disorders and their families and works to prevent these very dangerous illnesses. Headquartered in Highland Park, Illinois ANAD is a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating the problems of eating disorders. Highland Park is a city in the Moraine Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. ANAD works in the area of distributing national newsletters, advocacy, school guidelines, family support, therapist referrals, research, education, prevention, candlelight vigils and hotline help for anorexics and bulimics. Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric Diagnosis that describes an Eating disorder characterized by low Body weight and Body image distortion Bulimia nervosa is an Eating disorder characterized by recurrent Binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors referred to as "purging" The Associaton offers internship and volunteer opportunities to which many have taken part in since the establishment of the organization. The number for the Hotline is (847) 831-3438.
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National Newsletter
Every quarter, ANAD distributes a newsletter to tens of thousands of sufferers and concerned family members, health professionals and schools to provide educational information and an exchange of feelings and ideas.
ANAD's Publicity
ANAD is represented at hundreds of health fairs each year. ANAD was a co-sponsor of the National Eating Disorders Screening Program, as they have been in the past, in which over 2,000 colleges/ universities and hospitals participated across the country. Video tapes representing the dangers and problems of eating disorders are used in many lectures and workshops. These tapes are made by network and community companies and are used with their permission. ANAD officers, staff, volunteers, Advisory Board members, and affiliated health professionals have appeared on numerous national and local television and radio programs directed toward preventing and coping with anorexia nervosa, bulimia and compulsive eating. Through ANAD’s efforts, articles warning of the destructive nature of eating disorders have appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines. The Association actively fights against the production, marketing and distribution of potentially dangerous diet programs and diet products and the use of misleading advertising. ANAD has sponsored six national conferences directed to the health care community. Conferences covered extremely important issues and helped train health professionals and to treating and preventing eating disorders. ANAD recently began to offer a spanish website, speaking operator and newsletter because of the increased incidence of eating disorders found amongst the Latina population.
School Guidelines Program
ANAD provides a free in-service program on eating disorders to schools. The program provides information for teachers, coaches, guidance counselors and other school personnel with specific directions which help them effectively assist at risk students as well as those who already have been identified as having an eating disorder. A powerpoint presentation is also included as part of the school guidelines program. Some specifics of the school guidelines program includes student assessment, suggested interventions by staff members and students, symptoms and stages of eating disorders, guide for parents, bibliography of eating disorder references, role playing script, healthy living suggestions and cross cultural/cross gender awareness issues.
Support Groups and Resource People
Through hotlines and response to e-mail inquiries, ANAD provides counsel and information to thousands of anorexics, bulimics, compulsive eaters, their families, and to the health care community. ANAD receives over 5 million hits a year on their website and thousands of phone calls on their hotline. ANAD's database contains over 260 support groups, 600 resource people and a referral list which includes over 1,800 professionals specializing in treatment of eating disorders, including therapists and inpatient/outpatient programs in the United States, Canada, and several foreign countries.
Research
ANAD's research projects have helped significantly to increase the understanding of eating disorders in the United States, especially in demonstrating that anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are at epidemic levels and strike every segment of American society. The Association has encouraged and participated in numerous other research projects designed to better understand eating disorders.
Candlelight Vigil
ANAD sponsors this national event annually to promote awareness, recognition and prevention of eating disorders. Hundreds of vigils are held on college campuses and other public and private locations throughout the country.
Current Events
Current events are uploaded regularly on ANAD's website. [1]
Miscellaneous
-ANAD's website;[2] is updated on a regular basis. Recently added, is a spanish edition of ANAD. [3]. ANAD in Spanish.
-ANAD can also be reached via their hotline at 847-831-3438, or by mail at 555 Vine Ave P. O. Box 1, Highland Park, IL. 60035.
-Some of ANAD's sponsors include Linden Oaks Hospital, Remuda Ranch, Timberline Knolls LLC, Rogers Memorial Hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center and Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority to name a few.
<National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders/> < [4] >
References
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