Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness Center

11/18/2025

A friendly reminder: Eating disorders are not “a diet gone wrong.” They are serious, complex mental health conditions that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, background, or body size.

Too often, eating disorders are misunderstood as choices or phases, when in reality they stem from biological, psychological, and environmental factors that require specialized treatment and support.

If you or someone you love is struggling, compassionate, evidence-based care is available. You deserve understanding, guidance, and a clear path toward recovery.

Prosperity provides comprehensive, individualized treatment for children, teens, and adults across Virginia in a safe, validating environment where recovery is always possible.

Contact us today to learn more about our levels of care.
🌐 www.prosperityedwell.com
📧 information@prosperityedwell.com
📞 (703) 466-5150

11/14/2025

This is a major win for prevention, early intervention, and the millions impacted by eating disorders nationwide. Expanding education in schools helps reduce stigma, support early identification, and ensure students and families receive accurate information.

At Prosperity, we’re proud to support advocacy efforts that help ensure every community has the education and resources needed to better understand eating disorders and connect individuals to the care and recovery support they deserve.

BREAKING: Congress just passed Eating Disorders Coalition's report language into law! Schools are now requested to include eating disorders education in local wellness policies. USDA must report on progress within 120 days. A huge step forward for prevention and education.

11/14/2025

Contrary to a common misconception, eating disorders are not just a 'female thing.' Any person, regardless of gender, age, or background, can experience an eating disorder.

💡 Did you know?
An estimated 10 million males in the United States will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Studies indicate that males represent about one-third of all people diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Awareness matters. Eating disorders do not discriminate, and recovery is possible for everyone.

11/13/2025

Orthorexia is more than just eating 'healthy.' It's an obsession that can take a toll on both your mind and body.

This fixation on 'pure' foods can dominate your thoughts and behaviors, affecting your social life, relationships, and overall quality of life. Anxiety and guilt often arise when deviating from strict dietary rules.

Treatment for orthorexia usually involves nutritional counseling, psychotherapy (like cognitive-behavioral therapy), and sometimes medication for co-occurring conditions such as anxiety or depression.

If you're struggling with orthorexia, it's crucial to seek help from healthcare professionals who can guide you towards a balanced approach to eating and overall health.

At Prosperity, we are committed to guiding you, your loved ones, or your clients toward full recovery! Our specialized treatment programs and support groups are here to help you rebuild a healthy relationship with food and reclaim your life.

Contact us today to learn more about the levels of care we offer!
🌐 www.prosperityedwell.com
📧 information@prosperityedwell.com
📞 (703) 466-5150

11/11/2025

For many who have served, the transition from military to civilian life brings invisible wounds. Among them, eating disorders often remain overlooked, hidden beneath resilience, discipline, and the drive to stay in control.

At Prosperity Eating Disorders & Wellness Center, we believe that honoring our veterans also means acknowledging the unique mental health challenges they face, including those related to food, body image, and trauma.

Military service fosters structure, performance demands, and high standards. While these traits can support success in uniform, they can also contribute to disordered eating when combined with trauma, transition stress, or rigid body-image expectations.

Recent research shows:
👉 Between 2016 and 2021, approximately 0.24% of U.S. service members were diagnosed with an eating disorder — about one in every 400 service members (American Journal of Epidemiology, 2024).
👉 Binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa were the most commonly diagnosed specific conditions.
👉 Veterans with PTSD, depression, or anxiety are significantly more likely to experience disordered eating behaviors.
👉 Experts believe the actual number is higher due to underreporting and stigma around seeking help (NCEED, 2022).

A 2023 report by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division (AFHSD) covering active component service members from 2017 to 2021 found an overall incidence rate of 3.6 cases of any eating disorder per 10,000 person-years.

The breakdown included:
👉 Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): 1.4 per 10,000 person-years
👉 Bulimia Nervosa: 1.1 per 10,000 person-years
👉 Binge Eating Disorder (BED): 0.7 per 10,000 person-years
👉 Anorexia Nervosa: 0.4 per 10,000 person-years

Together, these three conditions (OSFED, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder) accounted for nearly 89% of total diagnosed cases.

For many veterans, food and body-image struggles can develop as coping mechanisms for intrusive memories, hyperarousal, or emotional numbness related to trauma. Others may carry military weight and fitness expectations long after leaving active duty, struggling to reconcile identity and self-image outside of service.

Recovery is possible. It begins with understanding that eating disorders are not a sign of weakness, but a complex response to stress and trauma.

At Prosperity, we provide evidence-based, trauma-informed care that helps individuals rebuild trust in their bodies and rediscover balance in their lives. Our programs serve the whole person, including veterans, military families, and civilians, with an emphasis on compassion, community, and individualized healing.

🇺🇸 This Veterans Day and every day, we honor those who have served not only by recognizing their courage in uniform, but by supporting their courage in recovery.

If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating or body-image concerns, you are not alone. Healing is possible, and help is available.

💜 Learn more at prosperityedwell.com

11/10/2025

Your eating disorder may be loud. These truths are louder! 📢

👉 Your identity is not your eating disorder.
👉 Your worth isn’t measured by numbers.
👉 “Good” and “bad” foods don’t exist.
👉 Recovery isn’t linear, but it’s worth it.
👉 Food freedom is possible.
👉 You deserve peace with your body.

Healing takes time, but you don’t have to do it alone. 💜 At Prosperity, we walk beside you every step of the way with compassionate, evidence-based care.

Because recovery isn’t just possible, it’s waiting for you!

11/07/2025

At Prosperity Eating Disorders & Wellness Center, we’re proud to serve individuals and families across Virginia with evidence-based, personalized, and compassionate eating disorder care.

Our Norfolk and Reston centers provide PHP and IOP levels of care for children, teens, and adults, supporting lasting recovery close to home. 🏡💜

Learn more about our programs and how we can help at www.prosperityedwell.com

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11/04/2025

November is Men’s Health Month, and it’s time to talk about something too often overlooked: eating disorders in males.

👉 Nearly 1 in 7 males in the U.S. will experience an eating disorder before age 40.
👉 10 million males will struggle in their lifetime.
👉 And too many will never get the help they need.

For many males, conversations about body image, food, and mental health still feel off-limits, but they shouldn’t.

Understanding eating disorders in males starts with listening, learning, and leading with compassion.

Eating disorders don’t discriminate, and awareness can make all the difference.

10/31/2025

We’re having a cereal-ously great Halloween at Prosperity Norfolk! 🥣👻 Can you spot your favorite cereal mascot on the loose?

🎃 Wishing everyone a fun and festive Halloween from our team!

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from all of us at Prosperity! 🎃🧡

We know holidays centered around food can bring up mixed emotions in recovery, and that’s okay. You’re not alone in that.

If today feels tough, we hope these reminders offer a moment of peace and permission to be gentle with yourself.

Remember, you deserve to enjoy this day just as you are. 👻

10/30/2025

Fear belongs in haunted houses, not in your relationship with food. 👻

We know this week can be challenging for those in eating disorder recovery with candy, food-centered gatherings, and old thought patterns resurfacing. Remember, you’re allowed to enjoy what you love without guilt, rules, or second-guessing.

You deserve peace with food and joy in the moments that matter most.

🧡 From all of us at Prosperity, we’re wishing you balance, kindness, and sweetness this Halloween!