New Huntsville center focused on eating disorders

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - There is a new center in Huntsville to help those struggling with eating disorders.

Huntsville-native Anne Lanier lost her 29-year-old daughter, Becky, due to medical complications from anorexia. Since then, Anne has made it her life mission to equip other families with the resources they need to help a loved one with an eating disorder.

Donations from Lanier and the Lanier Family Foundation funded the Becky Streetman Center for the Treatment of Eating Disorders through Nutrition Intervention at Huntsville Hospital.

The center provides nutrition evaluation, counseling and hands-on coaching to support children, teens and adults struggling with eating disorders. Registered dietitians meet with patients in a private, comfortable setting at the Huntsville Hospital Wellness Center on Governor’s Drive.

“Our goal is to not only help patients to a healthy weight, but to help them understand how their eating disorder causes nutrition and physical issues,” said Linda Steakley, MS RDN LD. “We work together to practice meal planning and preparation, establish regular eating patterns, and provide support for both the patient and their families.”

“Family education is crucial. Becky would go through treatment and be better but once she was home, I hadn’t changed, her sisters hadn’t changed, her friends hadn’t changed,” said Lanier. “Simply telling her she looked great, would send her right back into starvation mode. The goal of the Becky Streetman Center is to equip a patient’s entire family with the education and resources they need to help their loved one overcome their eating disorder. Only then can they take productive steps toward healing and recovery.”

Contact the Becky Streetman Center at (256) 265-7100 if you or someone you know might need help with an eating disorder. It’s located in the medical mall on Governor’s Drive at Huntsville Hospital Wellness Center.

To support this important work, you can donate to the Becky Streetman Fund at Huntsville Hospital Foundation at huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org/donate.

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