What We Do

Over 55 years of experience enables us at EDA to offer personal, on-going, emotional support and practical guidance for recovery for people struggling with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge eating, in addition to related self-harm.

Our work saves people's lives and greatly increases their chance of making a full recovery from an eating disorder.

At EDA, care - personal, on-going care - is at the centre of our work and has been since 1989 when we were founded. This care means that we spend time, often as long as an hour with our callers and enable them to keep in touch with us via the helpline. We can also ring them on a weekly basis via our befriending service. Our help is equally called upon by parents and family members all desperately trying to help the person they love overcome an eating disorder. All the feedback we record daily for each call is extremely positive:

“My EDA Befriender ringing me is like me receiving a gift - I have no-one else who knows what it’s like to struggle with an eating disorder.”

“EDA is like a family to me. I grew up in care and have always lived alone, so I never knew what a normal meal was like until with the help of your nutritional advisor I was given a meal plan and the support to get my eating back on track.”

"You don’t tell me what to do, but enable me to explore my choices, but you always have my physical and mental health at the forefront of your minds and you’re not afraid to gently explain the danger."

On being asked “who else would you have called today?” 97% reported “no one.”

The impact of supporting individuals is that they can learn to manage their condition and start the journey of recovery. They regain control over their lives, and work towards improving confidence, addressing low self-esteem and negative emotions. This in turn addresses their social isolation and enables them to get back to work and a full life.