Canadian Network Around Disordered Eating

The Canadian Network Around Disordered Eating (CNADE) is a network of dedicated professionals and volunteers from across Canada committed to the issue of eating disorders. We represent a variety of organizations from government departments and community agencies to private sector businesses.

The information and services available in this field are fragmented. Oftentimes, Canadians who struggle with these issues find it difficult to access the necessary supports and interventions that might be available to them within their community. With a lack of central access to streamlined services, many Canadians’ physical, medical and emotional health worsens to the point where they need to utilize hospital programs and emergency services.

The number of people struggling with food, body and weight issues is increasing. (see following relevant statistics) Evidence shows that disordered eating and eating disorders are linked to illnesses such as depression, diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.

We have concluded that creating working relationships among organizations in all provinces and the territories in the provision of enhanced service for people and families struggling with disordered eating/eating disorders and promoting prevention are priorities

We are hoping you will consider joining us in building a wider network that will work collaboratively to inform Canadians about the supports and services needed within the disordered eating/eating disorders continuum. We offer our collective strengths in developing stronger working relationships with each other, our governments - provincially and federally, as well as the broader public.

Canadian Network Around Disordered Eating
*connecting minds and bodies

We believe some of the following researched and well-documented information will clarify our concern. Relevant statistics:

95% of all dieters regain their lost weight within 1-5 years (Grodestein, F, Levine R, Troy, L, Spencer T, Colditz, G, & Stampher M. (1996). Three-year follow-up of participants in a commercial weight loss program. Can you keep it off? Arch Intern Med., 156,1302 –1306.).

37% of Canadian females age 11, 42% of Canadian females age 13 and 48% of Canadian females age 15 say they need to lose weight (Health and Welfare Canada (1992). The Health of Canada’s youth, views and behaviors of 11-13-and-15-year-olds from 11 countries. Ottawa ON: Minister of Supply and Services H39-239/1993.).

52% of girls begin dieting before age 14 (Johnson et al. (1984). Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 13.).

The fear of being fat is so overwhelming that young girls have indicated in surveys that they are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents (Berzins, L. (1997). Dying to be thin: the prevention of eating disorders and the role of federal policy. APA co-sponsored congressional briefing. USA.).

Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. The mortality (death) rate for eating disorders is approximately 18% in 20-year studies, and 20% in 30-year follow up studies. The annual death rate associated with anorexia is more than 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all other causes combined for females between 15 and 24 years old (Cavanaugh, C. (1999). What we know about eating disorders: facts and statistics. In Lemberg, Raymond, & Cohn (Eds.), Eating disorders: A reference sourcebook. Phoenix, AZ.: Oryx Press; Sullivan P.F. (1995). Mortality in anorexia nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(7), 1073 – 1074.).

Men are often forgotten because their eating disorder goes undiagnosed, yet about one in ten men is affected with bulimia (Bitomsky, (2002). Men often untreated for eating disorders. The Medical Post, 38(37).).

In a study in Ontario of 2483 female students; significant symptoms of eating disorders and binging and purging, or both, were reported by 27% of girls aged 12-18 years. Dieting was the most prevalent weight-loss behavior, also common was other unhealthy weight-loss behaviors such as self-induced vomiting (Jones, Bennett, Olmsted, Lawson, & Rodin, (2001). Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in teenaged girls: a school-based study. CMAJ, 165(5), 542 – 552.).

The prevalence of eating disorders in women 15-29 years old, tend to range from 3%-10%, with bulimia patients outnumbering anorexia patients by at least 2 to 1 (Polivy, (2002). Causes of Eating disorders. Annual Review of Psychology).