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OTTUMWA, IA -- Feb. 26 through March 3 is National Eating Disorder (NEDA) week.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, around 24 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder. Eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder.

Anorexia is restricting one’s diet to a very limited amount of calorie intake. Bulimia is considered eating mass amounts of food and purging.  Binge Eating Disorder is eating massive amounts of food uncontrollably.

Many people feel the pressure to be thin and often take it to the extreme. However, appearance is just a small part of an eating disorder.

“They feel that they can control how they eat, what they eat. It is the only thing they can control,” says licensed mental health counselor Teresamarie Wagner from Southern Iowa Mental Health Center.

Wagner works with clients that have issues surrounding food.

“I will invite them to look a little bit more deeply at what healthy things they can control in their life,” says Wagner.

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder click here