Support for Healthcare Professionals & Educators

About Eating Disorders

What you should know

”  What All Medical Professionals Should Know about Eating Disorders.  ” – article by Dr. Angela Guarda, Director of the Eating Disorders Program at The John Hopkins Hospital.

The Gurze/Salucore airs podcast

ED Matters: The Gurze/Salucore podcast airs once a week and is where top experts in the field of eating disorders are interviewed. They share information for individuals recovering from eating disorders, their loved ones, clinicians in the field, and other individuals, professional or otherwise seeking to learn about eating disorders. Includes healthy, informative conversations about eating disorders.

CTRI Free Webinar

CTRI Free Webinar: A great overview on eating disorders provided by the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute.

Peer Reviewed Research Studies

Peer Reviewed Research Studies on Eating Disorders, taken from the International Eating Disorder Action Website.​ We have provided brief summaries of each research study.

Neurocognitive features

Neurocognitive features of eating disorders presented by Dr. Kara Fitzpatrick; a three-part video series. Part 1   |   Part 2   |   Part 3

Support Groups

Support Groups

Those impacted by eating disorders, whether that be directly or indirectly, need support.

Encourage those experiencing an eating disorder or their parents, partners, and loved ones to reach out to EDSNA and learn more about our groups which are available in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and online.

Assessment, Screening Tools & Diagnosis

Assessment, Screening Tools & Diagnosis

Dear Doctor, Your Patient has an Eating Disorder. 

Clinical, research-based, & detailed article on signs that may show up in your office & how to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.

Article on ARFID

Urges pediatricians to be on the lookout for this eating disorder among children.

As well, EDSNA has compiled a number of other articles on this in the learn more section.

The Role of the Pediatrician in Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Eating Disorders: Opportunities and Challenges

Peer-reviewed article from the Journal of Adolescent Health.

EDSNA’s Working with your Healthcare Provider sheet.

Provides useful information for you and your healthcare provider.

Comprehensive list of resources for clinicians

Assembled by the Centre for Excellence in Eating Disorders (UK).​ 

Includes Best Practice Guidelines, Medical Risk Management, Screening Tools, Assessment, Adolescent/Youth, Treatment, Recovery Planning, and more.

SCOFF Questionnaire.

A simple 5-question test used to screen for Anorexia and Bulimia, developed by UK doctors.

The Academy of Eating Disorders

Developed a guide to early recognition and medical risk management in the care of individuals with eating disorders.

It can be found HERE.

Quality of Life Questionnaire

From Eating Disorders Nova Scotia.

This survey can help determine the degree to which an ED is impacting ones quality of life.

Ready for Change Measurement,

From Eating Disorders Nova Scotia. 

This survey is a non-judgmental way to assess if the person is in a state where recovery is manageable. 

Self-Help Guide

Developed in the UK, also helps patients walk through the steps to consider change.

Centre for Clinical Interventions

Resources for clinicians who work with eating disorders

Podcast: Finding Courage in Discomfort and Tough Conversations with Grace Wong

Grace Wong advocates for the non-diet approach, HAES and weight acceptance in her practise and campaigns for a supportive community where practitioners can engage in respectful disagreements and ongoing professional and personal develop to broaden perspectives and strengthen and advance our work

Consultation, Referrals & Resources

AHS Poster: Physician’s Guide to Eating Disorders

Professionals within Alberta who wish to consult on eating disorder topics, available services, how to make a referral to the program, and general treatment recommendations may contact the Program Consultant at the Calgary Eating Disorder Program, Meisha Kolbuc.

Phone: 403-955-8715

Email: meisha.kolbuc@albertahealthservices.ca 

Multi Resource List

For Eating Disorder Supports, Services, Sites, and Research compiled by AHS librarian at Red Deer Regional Hospital (NOTE: Treatment options are southern Alberta-specific).

Treatment & Guidelines

The Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders

Generally regarded as the gold standard for the medical treatment of eating disorders.

It is made available through the American Psychiatric Association website.

Exercise in Eating Disorders Treatment: Systematic Review and Proposal of Guidelines

Clinical Study

Effective medical treatment to help cessation of purging behaviours.

Who Treats Eating Disorders? 

Informative breakdown of all the sections of an eating disorder treatment team.

For Dentists

Eating Disorder Hope

Eating Disorder Hope: How to Reverse Dental Damage Caused By Bulimia Nervosa

When an individual is binging and purging, the acidity from the bile that comes up affects dental health, this web page offers tips on how to reverse the damage.

NEDA: Dental Complications of Eating Disorders

NEDA: Dental Complications of Eating Disorders

The harmful habits and nutritional deficiencies that often accompany disordered eating can have severe consequences on one’s dental health, this web page details the dental complications that may arise.

Oral Health: Diagnosing Bulimia

Oral Health: Diagnosing Bulimia

Dental Professionals can be the first line of defense in identifying the warning signs and symptoms of bulimia, this web pages lists signs of disordered eating, what to say and how to proceed.

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

Developed a handout for dental hygienists and dentists.

Outlines the dental complications of eating disorders, effects on teeth and gums and gives a step-by-step guide to start the conversation with a patient.

For Educators

Teachers may be the first to notice the signs of disordered eating, poor body image, perfectionism, self-harm, or compulsive exercising in their students. They may wonder what to do, where to turn, what to say, when to say it and who to consult. With this in mind, EDSNA frequently receives requests to present to student populations, or other individuals under the age of 18.

Recent relevant research has indicated that providing presentations to students, or other individuals under the age of 18, lacks preventative power- little to nothing is gained by offering information in these formats to this audience. If anything, addressing youth and adolescent cohorts directly may increase the likelihood of experimentation with maladaptive behaviours, and may inadvertently improve the sophistication of hiding techniques.

In keeping with these findings, EDSNA seeks to support teachers, administrative staff, and counselors by supporting them directly, in the hopes that they may be better able to notice and report disordered eating behaviour in the youth and adolescents that they work with.

School culture can influence the recovery process. It’s important to be aware of the messages being sent and try to see things through the eyes of someone with this illness. Eating in a crowded cafeteria may be impossible. Diet challenges or activities around food may be triggering. Posters that only support the thin ideal don’t emphasize health at any size and body acceptance. Recovery is possible and young people who have early, appropriate treatment have the best recovery rates.

Request an eating disorder presentation (for populations over 18 only) from EDSNA by emailing info@edsna.ca

Early, compassionate, and appropriate treatment often leads to better outcomes – recovery is possible.

Tools, Curriculm and Support

Farm to School B.C. Webinar: Supporting Healthy Eating at School

Farm to School B.C. Webinar: Supporting Healthy Eating at School

This nearly hour long webinar describes roles of adults and children with respect to feeding and eating, along with exploring how our language around food can impact children’s eating habits.

Tips for Lunchroom Monitors

Tips for Lunchroom Monitors

Six tips for lunchroom monitors to help instill healthy eating habits

Tips for Talking About Food to Children

Tips for Talking About Food to Children

This web page offers suggestions about ways to talk to children about food, including focusing on teaching about food, keeping the focus away from weight and remembering children may not have control over what goes into their lunch

Understanding Food and Weight Preoccupation in Youth

Understanding Food and Weight Preoccupation in Youth

A three page document for educators filled with tips and facts to recognize the warning signs of eating disorders and disordered eating.

Podcast: WNW Series: Exploring Weight-Neutral Wellbeing with TFC hosts

Podcast: WNW Series: Exploring Weight-Neutral Wellbeing with TFC hosts + Dr. Sarah Nutter and Dr. Jessica Saunders

Elizabeth Tingle and Dana Fulwiler discuss why weight-neutral approaches to health and wellbeing are ideal for every body in the school context.

Podcast: WNW Series: Weight-Neutral Schools

Podcast: WNW Series: Weight-Neutral Schools with Dr. Shelly Russell-Mayhew

The group discusses concerns with weight-centric health promotion and strategies on how to make a cultural shift towards more inclusive health messages.

ED Matters

The Gurze/Salucore podcast airing once a week where top experts in the field of eating disorders are interviewed.

Sharing information for individuals recovering from eating disorders, their loved ones, clinicians in the field, and other individuals, professional or otherwise seeking to learn about eating disorders. Healthy conversations about eating disorders.

School Counselor’s Role in Addressing Eating Disorder Symptomology

Research paper on a school counselor’s role in helping students with eating disorders.

Free toolkit for educators

Developed by the National Eating Disorder Association the USA.

Body Image Curriculum

Body Image Curriculum

Developed by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) of Canada.

20 lessons and is set out for grades 4-8 and is absolutely FREE. They are currently updating it to include more about social media.

18 Effective De-Escalation Strategies for Diffusing Meltdowns

18 Effective De-Escalation Strategies for Diffusing Meltdowns

Informative webpage about using effective validation techniques in the classroom to quickly de-escalate high emotion.

NEDIC Presentation

NEDIC Presentation

Request an online presentation for adults or youth via NEDIC.

Youth presentations are focused on body image, self-esteem and media literacy.

Adult presentation focuses on recognizing the signs of eating disorders and prevention.