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WEKU
Kate Wells

National Eating Disorders Association phases out human helpline, pivots to chatbot

NEDA Eating Disorders NPR Tessa United States
Abbie Harper worked for a helpline run by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), which is now being phased out. Harper disagrees with the new plan to use an online chatbot to help users find information about eating disorders. (Andrew Tate)

For more than 20 years, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has operated a phone line and online platform for people seeking help with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. Last year, nearly 70,000 individuals used the helpline.

NEDA shuttered that service in May. Instead, the non-profit will use a chatbot called Tessa that was designed by eating disorder experts, with funding from NEDA.

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