#IEDAction

#IEDAction

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Response to "Eating Disorders Among Girls and Women in Canada" parliamentary report released by The Standing Committee on the Status of Women


We are still collecting Canadian signatures for this letter to be sent ASAP; please leave a comment here or on our Facebook page if you would like us to add your name.


Health Minister
Honourable Minister Rona Ambrose
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6


December 3, 20014

The members of International Eating Disorder Action, (IEDAction) are writing to you in regards to the recently released report from The Standing Committee on the Status of Women: “Eating Disorders Among Girls and Women in Canada.”

Thank you for undertaking the study and allowing the testimony of 30 witnesses and for recognizing eating disorders are serious mental health illnesses. It’s important to be clear eating disorders affect all genders, cultures, ethnicities, age groups and socioeconomic classes.  Additionally, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illness. 

Due to the serious nature and the wide-ranging affects on Canadians, we feel strongly further studies should have be undertaken by the Standing Committee on Health. While we appreciate a dialogue being opened, we are disappointed that very little concrete action has been indicated by the report as recently published and are frustrated by the Committee’s recommendations.

We implore your office to put Eating Disorders on the Agenda for the upcoming Joint Provincial, Federal and Territorial meeting of the Ministry of Health. 

Those with eating disorders, and their families, continue to be negatively impacted by the lack of resources, research and funding for these illnesses, which have a high rate of recovery when diagnosed early and treated using evidence-based, best-practice treatment modalities that include families. It is worth noting that early diagnosis and aggressive treatment save substantial money when compared with the high costs associated with the medical complications of untreated eating disorders.

Three areas of immediate need are a Pan Canadian Strategy for Eating Disorders, a National Data Base and strong research programs; currently, the global Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) cannot be participated in from Canada—though the U.S., U.K. and Australia are all supporting this important study.

We look forward to news of a renewed emphasis on finding solutions via the Joint Provincial, Federal and Territorial meeting of the Ministry of Health and we are happy to support this effort in any way possible.



                  

2 comments :

  1. Looking forward to adding many Canadian names to this letter. I will fax it to the Ministers office and mail a paper copy. I hope to do this no later than December 10 2014 so it arrives prior to the seasonal break.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please add my name if it is not too late. Karen Patte, Toronto, Ontario

    ReplyDelete