Let me take you back to the last week of seventh grade. Like I'm sure we've all done and do. The conversation went from school to our clothes to how we looked.And of course, you were all complaining. But then I heard the words that I'll never forget. Hey Samara, you know you could just stop eating if you wanted to be thinner, right.Fast forward six months. It was a friend's house party. The weighing scale was just lying there.We all took turns standing on it and it felt like my heart dropped in its chest. 3 ...

Problem & Impact - Anorexia is the deadliest mental illness, claiming a life every 50 minutes in America [1][16] - Anorexia receives less than 1% of NIH mental health funding, despite its staggering cost to individuals, families, and society [2][12] - Eating disorders thrive in pain, trauma, and the search for control, often linked to experiences like sexual assault (at least 30% of people with eating disorders have experienced sexual assault) [5][6] - The medical community lacks consensus on treatment, leading to inconsistent care and families feeling helpless [7][13] Call to Action - Break the silence and speak openly about eating disorders to reduce stigma and enable recovery [14][16][17] - Demand better research, funding, and policies for consistent, standardized, and effective care [14][16][17] - Support recovery by showing up for those suffering and letting them know they are not alone [15][17] Funding Disparity - NIH allocates nearly 20 times more funding to substance use disorders compared to anorexia [12]