The Renfrew Center is proud to join other eating disorder organizations throughout the country to celebrate Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
February 23 – March 1, 2026
In a culture that loves categories, eating disorders are too often misunderstood through narrow lenses; who they affect, what they look like, and why they happen. The Myths We Carry challenges those assumptions, shining light on the diverse, complex realities behind the stereotypes.
This year, we invite our community to look deeper. To examine the unseen pressures, expectations, and biases that shape how we view bodies and worth. From the influences of social media and weight loss culture to the stigma that keeps so many silent, The Myths We Carry, calls for awareness grounded in empathy, inclusivity and truth. Recovery begins when we stop trying to fit a mold and start seeing every individual’s experience as valid and deserving of care.
Nutrition Myths That Harm: Beyond Calories and Clean Eating
- Diet culture myths can quietly fuel eating disorder thoughts and make food feel confusing, stressful, or unsafe. In this workshop facilitated by Sam Wint, MPH, RDN, LDN, we’ll break down harmful beliefs like “good” vs. “bad” foods, calorie counting, and clean eating, explain why they don’t support healing, and explore more flexible, evidence-informed ways of thinking about nutrition. This conversation invites alumni and community members to reflect on the beliefs they carry and consider new, supportive perspectives on food.
- Diet culture myths can quietly fuel eating disorder thoughts and make food feel confusing, stressful, or unsafe. In this workshop facilitated by Sam Wint, MPH, RDN, LDN, we’ll break down harmful beliefs like “good” vs. “bad” foods, calorie counting, and clean eating, explain why they don’t support healing, and explore more flexible, evidence-informed ways of thinking about nutrition. This conversation invites alumni and community members to reflect on the beliefs they carry and consider new, supportive perspectives on food.
- The Myth of Perfectionism as Protection
- Perfectionism is often praised as motivation or discipline, yet it can make us more vulnerable to masked suffering and eating disorders. In this workshop, we’ll explore perfectionism as a risk factor, the influence of productivity culture and social media, and how distress may present differently across intersecting identities. Facilitated by Mehak Merchant, MS, LPC, NCC, participants will gain a better understanding of “the why” behind perfectionism and gain practical tools to help identify unhelpful patterns and respond with awareness and flexibility.
- The Dos and Don’ts: Supporting the Journey [Rebroadcast]
- Supporting a loved one in eating disorder recovery often involves navigating deeply ingrained beliefs about food, bodies, and behavior. Presented by Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, this webinar explores how these beliefs can show up in caregiving and offers insights into the “dos and don’ts” of providing support. Parents, caregivers, and partners will gain tools to navigate the recovery journey with confidence, including helpful caregiver styles, strategies to validate big emotions, and ways to foster a more supportive home environment.
- Values Based Recovery- Reconnecting with Who You Are
- In honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Week and this year’s theme, “The Myths We Carry”, this on-demand webinar, facilitated by Ashley Moser, LMFT, CEDS invites attendees to look beyond the myths that surround eating disorders and reconnect with a powerful compass in recovery – our values. Attendees will explore the myths they carry and learn to realign with the values that reflect what matters most.
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