In this episode, Catherine and Francis were joined by Simone Seitz, Executive Director of the Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders (CRCED), and Anna Lutz, MPH, RD, LDN, CEDRD-S and CRCED board member. The discussion focused on the state of eating disorder care and accessing care, what barriers remain or have been created by the pandemic, and how to move forward as a community oriented towards helping those in need of support for their eating disorder experience. Simone shares what it has been like to navigate assisting and connecting resources to individuals and families seeking care for a loved one the last two years, and how the pandemic has changed the day-to-day operations for eating disorder non-profits. Anna speaks from the clinician’s perspective of areas of growth in treating individuals during a pandemic (telehealth!) and the barriers and limitations that remain. The message was clear, however: while there are still mountains to climb in terms of access to care, understanding bias within the medical community, combating fatphobia and weight-stigma, and creating more resources for individuals seeking care, there is a lot of progress being made and a lot of hope to improve upon the services that already exists. We were – and continue to be – so appreciative of the work Simone and Anna are doing in the eating disorder care space. If you live in or around North Carolina, reach out to CRCED. And if you live elsewhere, your state may have a similar resource center, or reach out to the National Eating Disorders Association for resources and a person to speak with. You deserve the care you feel you need!

CW: eating disorder behaviors, mention of suicidal ideation, mention of loss of life related to an eating disorder