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Toronto

Eating Disorders
in Canada

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References

Statistics Canada, 2016. See notably, Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, https://www.cpsp.cps.ca/surveillance/study-etude/avoidant-restrictive-food-intake-disorder In the United States, it is estimated that 30 million Americans live with an Eating Disorder and that only 1 in 10 people living with an eating disorder receive treatment. In 2012, it was estimated that there were 913,986 people with an eating disorder in Australia. Birmingham, C.L., Su, J., Hlynsky, J.A., Goldner, E.M. & Gao, M. (2005). The mortality rate from anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 38(2), 143-6; Girz L, Lafrance Robinson A, Tessier C. (2014). Is the next generation of physicians adequately prepared to diagnose and treat eating disorders in children and adolescents? Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 22(5), 375-85. The Butterfly Foundation. (2012). Paying the price: The economic and social impacts of eating disorders in Australia. Statistics Canada, Table 13-10-0801-01 (formerly CANSIM 102-0564). Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A.J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68, 724-731. Berkman, N.D., Lohr, K.N., & Bulik, C.M. (2007). Outcomes of eating disorders: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 293-309. Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A.J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68, 724-731. Smink, F.E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H.W. (2012). Epidemiology of eating disorders: Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Current Psychiatry Reports 14 (40, 406-414). See, notably, Roberts, K.C. “Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: results from the 2009 to 2011 Canadian Health Measures Survey,” Health Rep. 2012 Sep;23(3):37-41; and Lillico, H.G. et al. “The prevalence of eating behaviors among Canadian youth using cross-sectional school-based surveys” BMC Public Health. 2014; 14: 323; See also, Luongo, N.M., “Disappearing in plain sight: An exploratory study of co-occurring eating and substance abuse disorders among homeless youth in Vancouver, Canada,” Women’s Studies International Forum, Volume 67, March–April 2018, Pages 38-44, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2018.01.003; and Godin, K.M., Patte, K.A. and Leatherdale, S. T . “Examining Predictors of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Program Use Among Secondary School Students in the COMPASS Study” Journal of School Health, Volume88, Issue2, February 2018, Pages 150-158, https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12590 Raffoul, A., Leatherdale, S.T. & Kirkpatrick, S.I. “Dieting predicts engagement in multiple risky behaviours among adolescent Canadian girls: a longitudinal analysis.” Can J Public Health (2018) 109: 61. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0025-x McVey G., Tweed S. & Blackmore E. (2004). Dieting among preadolescent and young adolescent females. CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal, 170(10), 1559-61; McVey, G.L., Tweed, S., & Blackmore, E. (2005). Correlates of dieting and muscle gaining behaviors in 10-14 year-old males and females. Preventive Medicine, 40(1), 1-9; Bernier, C.D., Kozyrskyj, A., Benoit, C., Becker, A.B. & Machessault, G. (2010). Body image and dieting attitudes among preadolescents. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 71(3), e34-e40; and Gusella, J., Goodwin, J. & van Roosmalen, E. (2008). ‘I want to lose weight’: Early risk for disordered eating? Paediatric Child Health, 13(2), 105-110. Pinhas, L., Morris, A. Crosby, R.D., & Katzman, D.K. (2011). Incidence and age-specific presentation of restrictive Eating Disorders in children. A Canadian paediatric surveillance program study. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 165, 895-899a.

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Elise Sieradzki
Manager, Caregiver Support Programs
elise@nied.ca

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About Us

NIED exists to give hope and support to individuals with an eating disorder and their caregivers. We do this by developing and sharing educational resources and information, conducting, or participating in research, and taking action to address the needs of Canadians impacted by eating disorders.

© 2026 by National Initiative for Eating Disorders 

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