In addition to being election day here in Ontario, today (June 2) is also World Eating Disorder Action Day. This day is meant to bring activists, individuals with eating disorders, their families, health professionals, researchers, and policy makers together to raise awareness, decrease stigma, and to advocate for evidence based treatments and adequately trained health professionals.
This year, the theme is “Caring for Carers,” to highlight people who care for those with eating disorders (e.g. parents, grandparents, siblings, partners, friends, etc.). To quote Dr. Eva Trujillo, member of the steering committee for World Eating Disorder Action Day, “They too get tired and burn out, and we must create support networks and strategies for their care.”
To learn more about eating disorders, including advice about supporting someone struggling with one, visit their pages in our Illness section – stay tuned, our pages on binge eating disorder and otherwise specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFEDs) are in progress!
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) of Canada hosts a toll-free helpline (1-866-633-4220) as well as an instant chat Monday to Thursday 9:00am – 9:00pm (EST) and Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm. The chat is also available Saturdays and Sundays between 1:00pm and 7:00pm (EST). These services are for either those with eating disorders, or for their support people.
If you are in need of crisis or other support, please visit our Where to Call page.