Who We Are...  

Family Resources for Education on Eating Disorders (FREED) is a parent-founded, non-profit, organization committed to educating our community about the serious nature and growing prevalence of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder; providing information about how to recognize and treat eating disorders; and providing resources for support for persons suffering from an eating disorder and for their families and friends.

What We Do...

FREED provides the following resources:

• Provides speakers for private and public school assemblies, PTAs,in-service teacher training, programs for school nurses, and interested community groups
  
• Provides information on support groups in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (both for patients and for family and friends of persons with eating disorders) in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (call 301-493-4568). For information on support groups in other areas of the USA call 1-800-736-3739)
  
• Listens and understands.

• Eating Disorders: The Problem
  
• Links to Other Sources of Information About Eating Disorders
  
• Contact FREED
  

Eating Disorders: The Problem

The three major types of eating disorders are:

• Bulimia -- eating large quantities of food in one sitting and getting rid of the food soon after intake by vomiting, use of laxatives, or excessive exercise.
  
• Anorexia -- self-starvation to the point of emaciation and malnutrition, a perceived control over food, and an extreme drive for thinness.
  
• Binge Eating Disorder --eating excessively, often causing extreme weight gain.
  

Eating disorders are addictive and can be fatal. They are about more than just food or getting into a smaller dress size. Just as with persons who are dependent on alcohol or drugs, persons with eating disorders use food as a means to cope with the stress or difficulties in their lives. The inability to meet perceived standards of acceptability, as well as the sense that ones' life is out of control, may drive a person to develop an eating disorder.

You Are Not Alone...

For most people, recovery from a serious physical or emotional illness means a second chance, the opportunity to create a new life, to pursue goals which have been sidetracked, and to renew or create meaningful relationships.

People do recover from eating disorders, usually with the support of professionals, such as an eating disorder specialist, therapist, or a support group. The first steps toward recovery are acknowledgement of the eating disorder, a desire to recover, and a willingness to seek support from others.

Eating Disorder Outpatient Facilities

Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC area

• St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson, Maryland   (410) 427-2100
• The Johns Hopkins Eating and Weight Disorder Program, Baltimore, Maryland (410) 955-3863
• George Washington Hospital, Washington, DC  (202) 994-3457
• Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland   Support group: (301) 896-3100

Links to Other Information Resources

Here are several links to other organizations and general resources about eating disorders that you may find helpful.