More Than Food: Understanding the Connection Between Eating Disorders & Sexual Violence with Sarah Bergen of The Emily Program

Calm, pleasure and satisfaction are what most people experience after eating. But for people with eating disorders, food brings anxiety, disturbance and noise. In today's episode, host Laurie Hamame sits down with Sarah Bergen, Regional Medical Director of Ohio for The Emily Program eating disorder recovery center, to explore the intersection of sexual violence and eating disorders. This episode provides a powerful discussion on the complexities of eating disorders, especially how they intersect with sexual violence, PTSD, and trauma. The key takeaway is that EDs are serious mental health conditions that require proper support and treatment—but recovery is possible.

Learn about the National Eating Disorders Association and NEDA Week here. Learn about The Emily Program here. Watch Laura Hill's TED Talk, Eating Disorders from the Inside Out, here.

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This publication was supported by Rape Crisis Funding awarded by the Ohio Governor’s office, administered by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The opinions, findings, conclusion, and recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.