The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) is the oldest organization aimed at fighting

eating disorders An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating ...

in the United States. ANAD assists people struggling with eating disorders such as

anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...

and

bulimia nervosa Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eate ...

and also provides resources for families, schools and the eating disorder community. Headquartered in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...

, ANAD is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

working in the areas of support, awareness, advocacy, referral, education, and prevention.

History

In the early 1970s, Vivian Hanson Meehan, ANAD's president and founder, was a

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

at a hospital in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...

. When a family member was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, Vivian was unable to find any information or resources on eating disorders. Support was unavailable. She was told by experts, "Anorexia Nervosa is so rare that there are probably no more than 2000 cases of Anorexia Nervosa in the United States - you are wasting your time." Meehan decided to do something simple to see if the experts were right: she placed a small classified ad in a local newspaper looking for others who were searching for information about anorexia nervosa. Within days the ad generated eight responses from those struggling with eating disorders and family members in her community. A national magazine picked up on the story and Meehan was deluged by thousands of phone calls and letters. She opened up her home and her heart and launched the first helpline and referral service in the nation for anorexia nervosa and associated eating disorders. The small support group Meehan founded in her home went on to establish groups across the nation. These groups continue to provide peer-to-peer support and self-help for the individuals and families affected by eating disorders and are available at no cost. Meehan was born in

Sanish, North Dakota Sanish is an unincorporated community in Mountrail County, North Dakota, Mountrail County, North Dakota, United States. Sanish is located along North Dakota Highway 23 and Lake Sakakawea, west of New Town, North Dakota, New Town. Description Th ...

, in 1925. She became a Registered Nurse (RN) after graduation from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

School of Nursing. She was a supervisor of nurses and later director of the Department of Eating Disorders at Highland Park Hospital in Highland Park, Illinois.

Programs

Since its inception, ANAD has provided an open helpline. A help email is available and may be found on ANAD's website. Those who answer the phones and email offer support, encouragement and resources including referral to support groups, therapists and treatment centers. Activities have also included successfully campaigning against

pro-anorexia Promotion of anorexia is the promotion of behaviors related to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It is often referred to simply as pro-ana or ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchan ...

websites.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
Anorexia nervosa Organizations based in Naperville, Illinois Health charities in the United States Eating disorder organizations Medical and health organizations based in Illinois