COPE Community Outreach for Prevention of Eating Disorders

Our Mission:

To eliminate eating disorders and body dissatisfaction through prevention efforts, education, referral and support services, advocacy, training and research. We will strive to influence and inform the public, the media and the eating disorders field about new trends, findings, and advancements in eating disorders research, treatment, and prevention. COPE, the Community Outreach Program to Prevent Eating Disorders, is a group of professionals dedicated to reducing the incidence and repercussions of disordered eating in Volusia County. The group believes that early intervention and prevention are the keys to success and will initially focus on training both doctors and education professionals in these two crucial areas. Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders have reached epidemic proportions nationwide, attacking not only young females but also women and men of all ages; the victims suffer severe short and long‑term consequences. COPE will provide a much-needed service for a disease that is under‑recognized, under‑treated; a disease that is currently having extremely dangerous repercussions for the youth of our community and poses a serious threat for residents of all ages.