One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Research indicates that the prevalence rate of eating disorders is between 2% and 3%. Based on Statistics Canada population data (Statistics Canada 2016), an estimated 725,800 and 1,088,700 Canadians will meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.

The National Initiative for Eating Disorders reports:

• • An estimated 1 million Canadians would meet the diagnostic criteria for an Eating Disorder
  • Eating Disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness; 1 in 10 people with Eating Disorders die from their disorder
  • Suicide is a major cause of death among individuals with Eating Disorders
  • Eating Disorders are serious mental illnesses associated with significant medical complications that affect every organ system in the body
  • Canadian doctors, including those in training, feel unprepared to treat patients with Eating Disorders
  • Many people with an Eating Disorder never get diagnosed, and suffer significant personal and family distress
  • Eating Disorders are not a choice. They affect all genders, ages, racial and ethnic identities, sexual orientations and socio-economic backgrounds
  • More than 1 in 5 Canadian teenagers are on a diet at any one time, putting them at risk for an Eating Disorder
  • The provincial costs associated with patients who have anorexia nervosa and are on long-term disability may be as high at $101.7 million/year – 30 times the cost of all provincial specialized Eating Disorder services
  • Too many Canadians suffering from Eating Disorders do not have reasonable access to timely, comprehensive and specialized
  • Early detection and intervention can result in full recovery from an Eating Disorder

CMHA Kelowna hosts an Accepting Our Bodies support group to explore wellness and self-compassion through positive peer discussion. No referral is needed for this informal group gathering. The support group is held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 1:00pm at the Wellness Development Centre (504 Sutherland Avenue, Kelowna). For more information, please email Kyra MacPherson with the subject line “talk with us.” Please note that this group is for those aged 19+

You can help support Eating Disorder Awareness Week by wearing purple on February 1 and sharing it on social media #Purple4PEDAW