This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness). Now you may be thinking - I don't have an eating disorder, I don't know anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder, I will never struggle with my relationship with food?! Well you would most likely be wrong ... food issues do not discriminate. Eating disorders are a complicated condition that can affect all aspects of your life and affects people who are close to you. This is struggle that faces men and women, young and old, and those who are overweight or thin.

These statistics break my heart. All of our young girls and boys need to be viewing themselves in a positive light and not having a negative viewpoint about their body image. Forget all the stereotypes about eating disorders and embrace these statistics. More people struggle with their body image and self confidence then ever before and we need to help meet this problem head on.

So what can you do? Start with this screening tool from the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and see if your are viewing yourself, your weight, your issues with food need some additional help and support. CLICK HERE for the survey. Remember that eating disorders affect all types of people, so please don't judge people based on how they look. All of us struggle at times with your self-image. Be supportive of one another and if you have concerns about a loved one's relationship with food, talk with them and be that safe person for them to confident within. Overcoming this condition is a challenging and something that is never fixed. It is a constant struggle and that love and support is always needed.

Stay tuned for my next blog post (hopefully later this week). I have a special surprise that hopefully you all will find insightful and enjoy reading. Stay tuned!