Binge Eating Disorder Association, Inc., (BEDA) is the national multidisciplinary provider and patient organization focusing on the unmet need for preventing, diagnosing, and treating binge eating disorder. Weight bias and weight discrimination have a significant negative impact on the lives of those who live in higher weight bodies. Discriminating against people based on body size affects all aspects of higher weight people’s lives, from employment, education, and healthcare to housing, leisure activities, and well-being. Our mission at Body Equity Alliance is to address this injustice in all aspects of society so individuals of all sizes can enjoy the attention, care, dignity, respect, and rights they deserve as human beings. We engage with corporate partners in advocacy campaigns and serve as advisors on public policy, education, healthcare, marketing and communications related to eating disorders, weight bias and weight discrimination, and health equity. The organization is also dedicated to the lived experience of the individual and as such we also provide navigation services to higher weight individuals who want weight inclusive care. In addition to individual services, we consult as lived experience experts on research teams conducting eating disorder and/or weight bias trials. We are a part of the development, recruitment and analysis of our client's research projects and add a depth and perspective that greatly improves and enhances the evidence-base. Our CEO, Chevese Turner is the founder of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) which was formed in 2008 to address the unmet needs of people with the most prevalent eating disorder. After 10 years of pioneering work, BEDA merged with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in 2018 after noteworthy milestones that included working to add binge eating disorder (BED) to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s 5th Edition (DSM-5), developing a national awareness week addressing weight stigma and intersecting oppressions, creating industry-leading educational programming, and public policy work at the state and national levels. Chevese and the team at Body Equity Alliance believe it is time to move past naming social determinants of health and into practicing true health equity for those at higher weights who may or may not have eating disorders. As such, they are dedicated to helping corporate, policy and academic clients shift their work to be trauma informed, empathetic and accessible, and prepared to help individuals attain inclusive and equitable care without harm.
