The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)

Description

Overview
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre NEDIC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to provide information and resources on eating disorders and food and weight preoccupation One of our main goals is to inform the public about eating disorders and related issues

The Mental Health Programs and Services division of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has mandated NEDIC to provide information about issues related to eating disorders including uptodate information on what treatment is available

NEDIC is a program of the University Health Network in Toronto Canada

NEDICs vision is a culture that promotes and supports individuals engaged in healthy lifestyles regardless of ascribed or inherent characteristics physical appearance and social status

NEDIC promotes healthy lifestyles including both healthy eating and appropriate enjoyable exercise Being clientcentred means that our staff try to give people information and guidance about every option so that our clients can make informed choices for themselves

As feminists we believe that all human beings are of equal value and have equivalent civil rights These beliefs are behind our efforts to show how eating disorders are influenced by society and culture Another part of our work is to help people see prejudice against fat people We also work to increase awareness of myths and stereotypes that allow people to be unfair to any other person thin or fat At NEDIC we believe that food and weight issues for both women and men are related to the society in which we live We do not believe that eating disorders develop only out of an individuals biology

We recognize that our information and most of our clients are from North America We recognize that there are cultural differences among communities and for people outside of North America

History

In 1983 the Health League of Canada conducted a national needs assessment around eating disorders This action was begun by a group of concerned healthcare providers Based on the needs that they found the Health League funded the establishment of NEDIC which opened in 1985 to focus on eating disorders and how womens health choices are affected by society and culture The Health League funded the Centre until 1987 when they disbanded The Toronto General Hospital then gave NEDIC space and NEDIC asked for support from the Ontario Ministry of Health In 1993 Ministry consultants recommended that this funding become permanent At the same time NEDIC was formally incorporated into the Eating Disorder Program of the Toronto Hospital