If you or someone you know has an eating disorder and is in need of help, contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders’ helpline Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET at 866-662-1235 or the ANAD helpline Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, at 888-375-7767.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) 2026 highlights Health at Every Age by focusing on five interconnected areas that reflect how eating disorders and recovery are shaped across the lifespan. From prevention and early identification to the complexities of aging, hormonal transitions, and chronic disease risk, this year’s focus emphasizes the importance of whole-person, integrated health. By centering lifelong nutrition, well-being, and healthy relationships with food, NEDAW 2026 underscores that supporting physical, mental, and emotional health at every stage of life is essential to prevention, healing, and long-term recovery.
The five focus areas include:
Prevention and Early Identification Across the Lifespan
Eating disorders can affect people of all ages and body types. Recognizing signs and risk factors early can help prevent more serious health problems and support recovery. These signs and risk factors can appear at any stage of life and often emerge during periods of physical, emotional, or behavioral change. Such times may include childhood and adolescence, pregnancy and the postpartum period, midlife health changes, aging, or periods of stress, trauma, or major life transitions.
Warning signs may include changes in eating habits, concerns about weight or body image, avoidance of meals or social activities involving food, mood changes, or physical symptoms such as fatigue. Behavioral changes, such as excessive exercise or rigid food rules, may also signal risk. Importantly, eating disorders are not always associated with visible changes in weight.
Early identification involves noticing patterns over time rather than focusing on a single sign or behavior. Individuals, families, caregivers, educators, and health care providers all play a role in recognizing changes and taking action. Raising awareness across the lifespan helps promote prevention, encourages early support, and improves long-term health outcomes for individuals and communities.
Women’s Health, Aging, and Hormonal Transitions
Eating disorders can affect people at any age, including midlife and older adulthood. In adults, these conditions are often overlooked, which can delay diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Physical and hormonal changes during midlife, such as menopause, can affect appetite, weight, metabolism, and body image. These changes may increase the risk of disordered eating or worsen existing eating concerns. Life events such as caregiving, retirement, chronic health conditions, grief, or increased stress can also influence eating behaviors and mental well-being.
Warning signs may include changes in eating patterns, rigid food rules, frequent dieting, concerns about weight or body shape, avoidance of meals, or an increased focus on exercise. Physical symptoms may include fatigue, digestive issues, bone loss, or changes in energy levels. Importantly, eating disorders are not always associated with visible weight changes and can affect people of all body sizes.
Open, informed conversations are essential. Discussing menopause, nutrition needs, mental health, and recovery with health care providers can support early identification and appropriate care. These conversations help ensure that treatment addresses both physical health and emotional well-being.
Recovery is possible at any age. Increasing awareness of eating disorders in midlife and older adulthood helps reduce stigma, encourages help-seeking, and promotes healthier outcomes across the lifespan.
Learn more in our fact sheet: Navigating Menopause: Understanding Eating Disorders During Midlife
Whole-Person and Integrated Health
Health is shaped by many interconnected factors, including nutrition, mental health, hormonal health, and overall well-being. A whole-person, integrated approach to care recognizes how these elements influence one another at every stage of life.
Nutritional status affects physical health, energy levels, mood, and brain function. Mental health influences eating behaviors, body image, and daily routines. Hormonal changes, such as those that occur during puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and aging, can affect metabolism, appetite, and emotional health. Addressing these factors together allows care to be more effective and responsive to individual needs.
Integrated approaches support prevention, early identification, and recovery by encouraging coordination among health care providers, the use of evidence-based screening, and open communication with individuals and families. This approach helps ensure that physical, emotional, and behavioral health needs are not addressed in isolation.
Whole-person care also supports long-term well-being. By considering nutrition, mental health, hormonal health, and life circumstances together, individuals can receive care that adapts as their needs change over time.
Chronic Disease and Heart Health Prevention
Prevention, treatment, recovery, and long-term monitoring all play important roles in protecting heart health and reducing the risk of chronic disease. Addressing health needs early and consistently can help prevent serious complications over time.
Prevention focuses on promoting healthy behaviors, early screening, and awareness of risk factors. Nutritious eating, regular physical activity, stress management, and mental well-being support heart health and reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Treatment involves timely, evidence-based care when health concerns are identified. Coordinated care that addresses physical health, mental health, and lifestyle factors can improve outcomes and reduce long-term risks.
Recovery supports healing and stability following illness or treatment. Ongoing support helps individuals rebuild healthy routines, manage symptoms, and strengthen overall well-being. Recovery is an active process and may continue over time.
Long-term monitoring helps maintain progress and prevent relapse or complications. Regular checkups, follow-up care, and ongoing communication with health care providers allow for early identification of changes that may affect heart health or chronic disease risk.
By emphasizing prevention, treatment, recovery, and monitoring, communities and health systems can support heart health, improve quality of life, and reduce the burden of chronic disease across the lifespan.
Lifelong Nutrition, Well-Being & Food Relationships
Nutrition plays an essential role in health at every stage of life. Supportive, flexible relationships with food are a core component of eating disorder awareness, prevention, and recovery. National guidance such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offers evidence-based recommendations to support health across the lifespan.
Nutritional needs and eating patterns change over time. Growth and development, aging, hormonal transitions such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, and changes in health status can all influence how the body uses energy and nutrients. Recognizing these shifts supports health without placing unnecessary pressure on eating behaviors or body size.
Balanced, evidence-based approaches to nutrition emphasize nourishment, variety, and flexibility. These approaches support physical health while reducing the risk of rigid food rules, dieting behaviors, or shame related to eating. Nutrition guidance should be individualized and adapted over time to reflect changing needs and life circumstances.
Supportive environments also play a critical role. Families, caregivers, health care providers, and communities can promote healthy relationships with food by encouraging regular meals, positive food experiences, and open conversations about nutrition and well-being.
Lifelong nutrition is not about perfection. It is about meeting the body’s needs, supporting recovery, and promoting long-term health in ways that respect both physical and mental well-being across the lifespan.
Access the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for science-based recommendations on healthy eating patterns across all life stages, emphasizing nutrient-dense foods, variety, and flexibility to support overall health and reduce chronic disease risk.