This Is Me
320 Huron St. M5S 3J7 Toronto, ON, Canada

Types of Treatment for Eating Disorders What type of help is available? There are currently four types of treatment commonly used to care for those with eating disorders; day treatment, inpatient care, outpatient treatment and residential treatment. Day Treatment Programs involve having the patient spend a number of hours a day at the program (typically a hospital), where they will eat meals while continuing to live at home. These treatment programs are staffed with psychiat...Continue reading

Thank you to the brothers of Delta Upsilon for making the Mardi Gras Waffle House a great success! Also, a big thank you to Trevor David who so graciously organized this event in conjuction with This Is Me to support eating disorder awareness. The funds raised will be donated to support the mission of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre who provides information, resources, referrals, and support to Canadians affected by eating disorders. Attached below are a few pictures taken of individuals who came out and had an awesome time! #ThisIsMeUoft #EatingDisorderAwareness #RealTalk #EndtheStigma #NEDAAwarenessWeek

If you know someone who is struggling with an eating disorder, here are some easy tips you can follow to support them on their journey towards recovery! #ThisIsMeUofT #EatingDisorderAwareness #RealTalk #EndtheStigma #NEDAAwarenessWeek

Let’s talk about disordered eating! Disordered eating is a disturbed and unhealthy eating pattern. It includes a range of abnormal eating habits similar to those found in clinical eating disorders. Some examples of disordered eating behaviours are skipping meals, restricting calories, cutting out certain food groups, binge eating or using diet pills. Based on these examples, you might be wondering what differentiates disordered eating and eating disorders. The primary differ...ence between the two is the severity and the frequency of behaviours, where the behaviours associated with disordered eating are less severe and less frequent than the behaviours associated with an eating disorder. It can be helpful to think about eating on a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum is healthy eating, in the middle is disordered eating, and on the other end are eating disorders. Due to the nature of the spectrum, disordered eating behaviours can often lead to an eating disorder if they are not properly handled. Disordered eating can also lead to other health concerns such as osteoporosis, fatigue, poor sleep quality, constipation and/or diarrhea, headaches, and muscle cramps (NEDC). If you suspect you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating here are some do’s and don’ts. Do seek help fast! Early intervention is the best way to prevent disordered eating from developing into an eating disorder. Don’t ignore the problem! Ignoring the problem will not make it disappear, and will only further ingrain these behaviours into your daily life, taking longer to resolve. Finally, please don’t give up! Don’t give up on those who may be suffering, including yourself. It is never too late to seek help. #ThisIsMeUofT #EatingDisorderAwareness #RealTalk #EndtheStigma #NEDAAwarenessWeek

Have you ever struggled with your body image? Have you ever felt unsatisfied with how you look and feel in your own body? Unfortunately, you are not alone. The prevalence of body dissatisfaction in our society today is incredibly high. One study reports that up to 72% of women and 61% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies. Some researchers are even starting to view body dissatisfaction as a public health problem, as body dissatisfaction has been linked to lower quality of... life, mental health issues, and even chronic disease risk factors. So, why is body dissatisfaction so prevalent? Body image issues have a lot to do with the media. Dr. Anne E. Becker, the director of research at the Harvard Eating Disorders Center of Harvard Medical School investigated shifts in body image and eating practices in Fiji over a three-year period. It was reported that before the introduction of television in Fiji in 1995, only 3% of girls had induced vomiting to control their weight. In 1998, this number rose to 15%, with 69% of girls saying they have been on a diet at some point. These findings are disheartening, but unsurprising considering the mass exposure to countless advertisements glorifying the ideal body. These advertisements lead us to believe that our lives would be much better if we possess this ideal body. Companies try to sell us the idea that we can all achieve better looks and become more confident in our bodies if we follow their diet/fitness plan or use their cosmetic products. According to Susie Orbach (2010), the belief that we can change/improve our bodies has led to even more discomfort in our bodies. Instead of accepting our bodies, we are told that we need to continue to improve them, and that we have a personal responsibility to do so. No longer is our body the vehicle from which we experience the joys life has to offer, it is now a site of extreme discomfort and work. Industries are capitalizing on our insecurities. The diet industry alone was worth $58.6 million in 2010! The idea that we should be constantly trying to improve our aesthetics is a major contributor to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. For this reason, we need to challenge what we see in the media. We must challenge companies that only promote the homogenized ideal body of a slim figure with large hips, breasts, and muscles. Promoting body diversity and altering the narrative will help people appreciate the body they have been given and not feel ashamed. #ThisIsMeUofT #EatingDisorderAwareness #RealTalk #EndtheStigma #NEDAAwarenessWeek

Do you feel confident that you would notice the warning signs of an eating disorder in a friend or family member? If not...read on! The process of recovering from an eating disorder is better/faster the sooner an eating disorder is discovered and reduces suffering. While there is a list of warning signs, we must remember that not everyone struggling with an eating disorder will present every symptom in the exact same manner. This list is more of a general overview of some be...haviours that may indicate a problem. We hope that by sharing these warning signs, you can recognize the presence of an eating disorder in yourself, or a loved one, which will bring you one step closer to seeking help! #ThisIsMeUoft #EatingDisorderAwareness #RealTalk #EndtheStigma #NEDAAwarenessWeek Ellen DeGeneres Signs and Symptoms for Anorexia Nervosa -Dramatic weight loss. -Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm. -Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat, and dieting. -Makes frequent comments about feeling fat. -Resists or is unable to maintain a body weight that is appropriate for their age, height, and build. -Maintains an excessive, rigid exercise regime - despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury. Bulimia Nervosa’ -Evidence of purging behaviours, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics. -Drinks excessive amounts of water or non caloric beverages, and/or uses excessive amounts of mouthwash, mints, or gum. -Has calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self induced vomiting. -Dental problems, such as enamel erosion, cavities, discoloration of teeth from vomiting, and tooth sensitivity. Binge Eating Disorder -Secret recurring episodes of binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a relatively short period of time in private). -Feels out of control over ability to stop eating. -Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating, and/or feelings of low self-esteem. -Hoarding of food in strange places. -Creates lifestyle schedules or rituals to make time for binge sessions. Orthorexia -Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products). -An increase in concern about the health of ingredients; an inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed healthy or pure. -Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events. -Body image concerns may or may not be present.