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By Carrie Pollard, MSW, RSW
February 2, 2021
The goal of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 1-7, 2021) is to raise awareness and understanding about eating disorders, to reduce the stigma, increase hope of recovery, and highlight ways to access support.
One million Canadians have a diagnosed eating disorder, and one in two people know someone who has an eating disorder. These numbers, however, are not completely representative of those impacted because it does not include people with undiagnosed eating disorders who may be hesitant to seek help. It also does not include those who struggle with disordered eating.
Even though eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health issues, they are not always recognized. Some of the signs of an eating disorder or disordered eating include:
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) provides detailed descriptions of eating disorders (ED), including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and others.
Although there are many biopsychosocial factors that influence the development of an eating disorder, they affect people of all sizes, genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, abilities, and sexual orientations. Access to support is not equal among diverse groups. Greater training and research is critical to improving our understanding of how different backgrounds and experiences affect the development and treatment of eating disorders.