Welcome

**This guest blog was written by world-renowned athlete and eating disorder recovery advocate, Jessie Diggins. –revised/updated January 2026

I am sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Ulricehamn, Sweden, talking with a local newspaper journalist. We are mostly discussing ski racing. At some point, she asks me why I decided to share my history with an eating disorder. I knew she would ask, and I hoped she would.

Reporters often wonder why I would want to share something so personal. For me, the answer is simple. I want people who are struggling with disordered eating to know there is always hope. Recovery is not only possible. It is often closer than it feels.

Contrary to what it can seem like in the moment, you can survive without an eating disorder in professional sports. More than that, you can thrive. My story proves that the eating disorder I once relied on to try to race faster hurt my career in the short term. It did not ruin my life. In fact, my racing took off once I got healthy again.

The harder story to tell is what it was really like nine years ago, when I was too scared and ashamed to admit I had a problem at all.

WithAll (formerly The Emily Program Foundation) announced its name change today, marking its new focus on prioritizing eating disorder prevention, expanding recovery support, and offering simple resources that will reach many more people. This name change represents the organization’s expansion of its reach and scope after a successful decade-plus journey through the invaluable contributions of its founders and supporters then, now, and into the future.

The name Withall signifies that no one is alone in fighting an eating disorder—or in working to prevent them. While the name has changed, The Emily Program remains one of WithAll’s valuable partners and supporters.

**This guest blog was written by Andrea Parmar. Andrea is a registered psychiatric nurse and an eating disorder survivor. She has written a well-loved book about her experience with an eating disorder called, “Alone in a Crowd.” She is always striving to create a better understanding of mental health stigmas and eating disorders.

Looking back to my adolescent years, I can now recall experiencing instances of anxiety as early as eleven or twelve years old.  At the time, I didn’t know where those anxious feelings were coming from or why I was feeling them, however, the symptoms were undoubtedly the early onset signs of a mental illness that would grow and last a lifetime. My people-pleasing ways and self-doubt continued to grow throughout my teenage years. Although I was clearly struggling with mental health issues, ironically, I clearly saw myself having a future in the counseling field. My body image concerns began at the age of fifteen and dangerously spiraled into a bulimic eating disorder soon afterward.

We wanted to share former clients’ reflections on their time in The Emily Program’s adolescent programs.

• “The Emily Program has helped me a lot mostly because I am a kid and usually these (things) don’t make a whole lot of sense. Thank you.” – Adolescent client
• “Our family is more open—not just about food, but with feelings. It’s amazing to see how much everything has changed and how willing they are to say how they feel.” – Adolescent client
• “I feel surrounded and protected—something I didn’t have for many years. It’s nice to have that, finally.” – Adolescent client
• “Sometimes, you feel like you’re doing the battle alone. Being with the other parents definitely made me feel more supported. There’s a whole bunch of other people going through the same thing with their kids.” – Parent of an adolescent client
• “I’m here with my daughter. She’s only been in the program for 2 months but I see changes in her already. So it’s nice to know I still have hope.” – Parent of an adolescent client
• “I want to thank my daughter for being strong enough to face her own issues with her eating disorder. She came to The Emily Program to take back her life and she helped me realize I can do the same.” – Parent of an adolescent client

Eating disorders and grief have a multifaceted, complex relationship. Eating disorders may arise following a traumatic situation, after a loss, or during any period of grief. In addition to potentially being a provoking factor in the development of an eating disorder for predisposed individuals, grief may also complicate recovery and may make it more challenging. On top of this, individuals in recovery may also find themselves grieving their eating disorder, which adds another layer of difficulty onto the recovery process.

What is Grief?

Grief is a normal, albeit overwhelming, response to a loss of any kind. While grief is typically associated with death, grief can also follow a variety of experiences including relationship loss, a decline in health, miscarriage, physical or sexual assault, loss of a dream, etc.  

Episode description:

Diet culture is an insidious ideology that worships thinness, demonizes those that don’t adhere to the beauty standard, and oppresses those who are not viewed as “healthy.” Hilmar Wagner, a dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Public Health, joins Peace Meal to talk nutrition, diets, and why we’ve been evolutionarily conditioned to be preoccupied with food.

Do you find yourself consuming large amounts of food rapidly and feeling out of control while eating?

Binge Eating Disorder & Mental Health

If so, you might be grappling with binge eating disorder (BED), a mental health condition marked by cycles of bingeing and restricting food. In this blog, explore the warning signs that might have gone unnoticed, the toll of BED on the body, and the treatment options available to those suffering in silence.

TEP: Tell us about yourself!

Anna: Hello! My name is Anna Roth and I am a licensed psychologist and Intake Therapist at the East Metro location in Minnesota. I started with TEP in Seattle a few years ago and missed both the clients and the community of providers so I am happily back. Outside of work I can be found at a dog park with my rescue pup Rumi or trying a new restaurant with friends :). 

TEP: What does an Intake Therapist do?

Anna: In short, it’s our job to complete a thorough and compassionate assessment of a client based on many factors to determine what level of care they need to best address their symptoms. More than anything though, I think it’s our job to inspire the belief that recovery is possible whether it’s someone’s first time seeking help or their 20th.