Eating Disorder Resources
Information on Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening mental illness characterized by behaviours that interfere with maintaining adequate weight.
It is a life-threatening mental illness characterized by, over a period of at least three months:
1. Persistent behaviours that interfere with maintaining an adequate weight for health.
restricting food
compensating for food intake through intense exercise
purging through self-induced vomiting or misuse of medications like laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or insulin.
2. A powerful fear of gaining weight or becoming fat.
3. Disturbance in how the person experiences their weight and shape.
The person overestimates their body size, usually evaluates it negatively, and may feel their weight and shape matter more than anything else about them.
4. The person does not fully appreciate the seriousness of their condition.
Anorexia is linked to cardiac arrest, suicidality, and other causes of death.
Atypical anorexia nervosa
Atypical anorexia nervosa shares the same characteristics as anorexia nervosa; however, the person’s weight is within or above the “average” range for age and height. This could occur, for instance, when a person starts at a higher weight and drops weight to the point that they are experiencing cardiac instability.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a life-threatening mental illness characterized by periods of food restriction followed by binge eating, with recurrent compensating behaviours such as purging or restriction.
Bulimia nervosa is a life-threatening mental illness characterized by:
1. Recurring episodes of food restriction followed by binge eating. A binge-eating episode is characterized by the consumption of an unusually large amount of food within a relatively short period of time. Feeling out of control over what and how much is eaten.
2. Recurring behaviours that follow binging in order to compensate for the food intake and prevent weight gain.
excessive exercise
fasting or severe restriction
self-induced vomiting
misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas
3. The person tends to negatively evaluate their weight and shape and feels that these matter more than anything else about them.
4. The restricting, binging and purging cycle occurs at least once a week for three months.
Other Eating Disorders
Binge Eating Disorder
Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Rumination Disorder
Purging disorder
Night eating syndrome
Eating Disorder Clinics & Treatment Resources
The Looking Glass - Vancouver
Contact: Email: info@lookingglassbc.com or Phone: 604-314-0548
The Looking Glass Foundation strives to support individuals struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating. We offer innovative and accessible programs and services that decrease isolation, instill hope, and sustain recovery for individuals on their road to recovery.
Multiple programs with a variety of options including:
Online support
One-on-one support with a counselor
Peer support
Residential care
Free
North Fraser Eating Disorders Program - Port Moody
Contact: 604-592-3700 (intake) or 236-468-2373 (office)
North Fraser provides nutritional and medical management of anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. Treatment may include:
individual and family therapy
group therapy
psycho-educational sessions
Cases are prioritized according to urgency
Free
BC’s Children’s Hospital: Kelty Eating Disorders - Vancouver
Contact: 604-875-2084 or toll-free from anywhere in BC: 1-800-665-1822 and email: keltycentre@cw.bc.ca
Connecting you with resources and information for every stage of the eating disorder journey.
Provide connections for individuals with various treatment options:
Residential care
Nutritional counseling
Psychotherapy
Support Groups
Free
Foundry: The North Shore Youth Eating Disorders Program - North Vancouver
Contact: 604-984-5060
The North Shore Youth Eating Disorders Program (NSY EDP) partners with pediatricians to offer medical monitoring in a clinic setting along with counseling and nutritional support to youth who are struggling with disordered eating/clinical eating disorders
Free
Alberta Wellness Center for Eating Disorders - Edmonton, AB
Contact: 780-977-7062 or email albertawellnessed@gmail.com
The Alberta Wellness Center for Eating Disorders is a multidisciplinary practice that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and eating related struggles, across the lifespan.
Our centre integrates best practice guidelines, evidence-based treatments, and promising innovative approaches to provide our clients the most hope for a meaningful and long lasting recovery.
Monday - Friday: 9AM–8PM
Saturday - Sunday: 9AM–5PM
By Appointment Only
2715 Ellwood Drive SW, Edmonton, Alberta T6X 0P7, Canada
Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta - Edmonton, AB
Contact: info@edsna.ca
The Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta (EDSNA) is a non-profit organization and a registered charity dedicated to providing meaningful support to those affected– directly and indirectly– by eating disorders. EDSNA provides information, guidance, a provincial voice, a community hub and most of all, support. We offer professionally-facilitated support groups.
Support Group Info./Calendar: https://edsna.ca/support/
Low-Cost
1-866-NEDIC-20 / 1-866-633-4220 toll-free helpline available from 9am - 9pm, Monday - Thursday and 9am - 5pm on Friday.
Free
Suicide Hotline
1-800-784-2433
If you are in distress or worried about someone else
Available 24 hours a day
Free
