The Dahlia Partnership P.O. Box 50071 St. Louis, Missouri 63105 314.726.1503

The Dahlia partnership is a collaborative organization of professionals and volunteers dedicated to improving early diagnosis and treatment of people with eating disorders, increasing access to care and strengthening family and community support. THE PROBLEM Approximately approximately 250,000 Missourians are affected by eating disorders. Fifty percent of those identified as suffering from these disorders become chronically ill. Approximately twenty percent of anorexics will die of their illness or its complications and mortality is also high with other disorders. This makes eating disorders the number one killer of all mentally-related illnesses; more people die from eating disorders that from depression or schizophrenia. Early comprehensive and appropriate treatment is strongly associated with a higher recovery rate. The course of these illnesses is complex and protracted. Access to care is severely limited by gaps in insurance coverage and the high cost of treatment. By challenging the stigma, educating the public and professionals about the signs, symptoms, significance and treatment of these illnesses, and providing greater access to best-practice treatment, The Dahlia Partnership’s goal is to make an important difference.