NB Eating Disorder Network

02/08/2023

Thanks to everyone who liked, shared and posted a purple picture. After random draw, here are the winners:

USVA Nordik Spa gift card - Tania LeBlanc

MacArthur's Nursery gift card - Renée Ruest

Original art (Janice's Fairies and Flowers) -Tina Ruest

**Someone will be in touch with each of you shortly to organize pick-up/drop-off for the prize.

02/07/2023

Day 7 EDAW2023

Reminder: today is the last day to show us your purple in support of eating disorder awareness week! See our post on Feb1st for details. Prizes include a 75$ gift certificate to USVA Nordik Spa, a gifr card to MacArthur's Nursery and an original art piece by Janice's Fairies and Flowers!

What we hope you remember from the information shared this week:

- Eating disorders are serious disorders that can lead to death by medical complications and su***de

- Eating disorders can affect people across the lifespan, races, ethnicities, genders, etc. No one is immuned to these illnesses!

-Eating disorders can be treated and people CAN and DO recover. Early detection and treatment are key elements to recovery!

Thanks to all those who read, liked and shared our posts and helped raise awareness!

02/06/2023

Day 6 EDAW2023

Myth: All teens are concerned with their looks and so it's normal and harmless for a teenager to want to diet and exercise to lose weight.

Fact: It's true that a certain amount of concern over body image and food intake is normal in adolescence, a time when identity and peer judgment are at their highest; however, weight loss should not be encouraged or praised during this critical period. Teens are still growing and they need to continue eating adequately for proper body and brain development. Rather than focusing on or praising weight loss, parents and caregivers could remind their teen that eating regular meals and snacks and engaging in an active lifetyle will help them feel stronger; improve mood; and possibly improve how they feel about themselves, in their body. It is better to focus on health and activity level versus clothes size or the number on the scale; otherwise, the parent or caregiver may inadvertently perpetuate the thin-ideal, which be a risk factor for the development of an eating disorder. Hopefully one day we can have kids and teens understanding that bodies come in different shapes and sizes and that is ok. Here is a cute little video to illustrated this:

An animated video exposing the limitations of current research on weight and health.To learn more about the Health At Every Size® approach, please visit us a...

02/05/2023

EDAW2023 continues through until feb 7th!

If you haven't done so, consider participating in our contest to show support and awareness for those who have been and are still affected by eating disorders during this week's EDAW2023 - Feb 1st-7th.

To do so:

-like and share one of our EDAW2023 posts
-post a purple picture in the comments section on our Feb 1st's post. See the other purple pictures to get ideas. This will show your support in this cause and also you will then have a chance to win a prize.

*Prizes include a gift card for USVA Nordik Spa, Macarthur's Nursery and an original pretty picture from Janice's Fairies and Flowers

02/05/2023

Day 5 EDAW2023

Myth: Eating disorders are lifelong disorders that will always be a struggle for sufferers

Fact: Recovery IS possible and the majority of people with eating disorders do recover (Eddy et al., 2016). Indeed, some researchers have found that following a five year period of treatment, recovery rates were 67% for anorexia nervosa and 55% for bulimia nervosa (Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2009). After 10 years, another group of researchers found that 70% of people suffering with an eating disorder had fully recovered (Berkman, Lohr, & Bulik, 2007). Early detection and treatment are key elements in recovery (Treasure, Stein, & Maguire, 2015). These elements are why awareness is so important! The more people are aware of the seriousness of eating disorders and how widespread they are across the lifespan, races, ethnicities, genders, etc., the more people could get early diagnosis and treatment. Hopefully with more specialized treatments and earlier detection, recovery rates will continue to increase and even more people will fully recover.

02/04/2023

Day 4 EDAW2023

Myth: Eating disorders affect only thin white adolescent girls

Fact: Studies show that eating disorders affect both males and females; they occur across the lifespan; they can be found in all races and ethnicities; they are present in people of all shapes and sizes; they occur throughout sexual orientations and gender identities; and eating disorders are present in people of differing socioeconomic statuses (Schaumberg et al., 2017).

02/03/2023

Day 3 EDAW 2023

Myth: Eating disorders are a choice so people can "choose" to get better

Fact: Eating disorders are serious illnesses that lead to emotional, physical and cognitive changes. Eventually the person's eating behaviors become markedly disturbed and their life becomes all consumed with food, eating, and often body shape and size. Anxiety is high and mood is low. They often feel plagued with guilt and self-hatred for eating too much or for wanting to eat, etc. They certainly are not choosing to feel this way. Unfortunately, the entertainement industry has sometimes glamourized EDs but there is nothing glamourous about having an ED.

*Don't forget to participate in our contest to show your support for all those who have been and still are affected by eating disorders!

How to participate:

- like and share one of our posts for EDAW 2023
-post a picture of yourself or of something in purple to show support, in the comments section. **Please post pictures in the comments of February 1st post so we can see all the purple in one place!

**Prizes available to win include gift cards for USVA Nodik Spa and MacArthurs Nursery, as well as an orginal art piece from Janice's Fairies and Flowers. Winners will be chosen and contacted on February 7th.

02/02/2023

Day 2 of EDAW 2023

Myth: Only people who are underweight have eating disorders and if your weight is in the normal range or above, you are not as sick

Fact: The opposite is actually true. Only about 6% of eating disorder sufferers are considered clinically “underweight” (Flament et al., 2015). Having a weight that is in the normal range or above does not mean the person is less sick or has lower distress and interference in their daily life due to their eating disorder. Serious medical complications can occur with any of the eating disorders, regardless of weight. Perpetuating this idea that only people who are emaciated can be really sick can lead to sufferers and families delaying treatment because they don't feel or believe they are "sick enough".

02/01/2023

Canada's Eating Disorder Awareness week (EDAW) is here!
February 1st-7th

This year's theme is: Transforming the Narrative From Asks to Actions!

Consider participating in our contest to take Action and show your support in this cause! Participants will also have the chance to win prizes (which includes a 75$ gift certificate from USVA Nordik Spa in Moncton)! See below for contest details.

Here are a few stats on EDs that may surprise you:

-Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Smink, vanHoeken & Hoek, 2012)

-Eating Disorder sufferers not only die from medical complications but also by su***de. In fact, 26% of people diagnosed with an eating disorder attempt su***de (Arcelus et al., 2011)

And the thin ideal and focus on body size and shape can start young:
-42% of girls grade 1-3 admitted to wanting to be thinner (Collins, 1991) and as many as 81% of 10 year old children have admitted to being afraid of getting fat (Mcnutt et al, 1997)

These stats show that we need to recognize the seriousness of these illnesses and raise awareness so people can get earlier treatments and have a chance at better outcomes!

*Please consider participating in our contest to help raise awareness and show support for those who have been affected and are still being affected by eating disorders. We can't wait to see those creative pictures!

01/30/2023

For those who are eligible and interested in participating in an ED study

Pour ceux et celles qui sont éligibles et intéressés à participer dans une étude concernant les troubles de l'alimentation

10/04/2022

08/30/2022

Good read for parents sending their child to university.

Eating Disorder Recovery in College: What Parents Should Know About Supporting Their Student