The grand opening of the new Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program was held on Monday, September 28. The clinic, located in downtown Winnipeg, will be one of Winnipeg’s newest tools to help those who struggle with eating disorders say experts.
Funded by the province with $238,000 in core funding for an initial six-month start up, the clinic began welcoming new clients on Oct. 1. Community-based eating disorder services targeting prevention and intervention will be provided for women and men above the age of 16.
The Women’s Health Clinic, also located downtown, has been serving Manitobans for almost 30 years, dealing specifically with disordered eating for a quarter of a century. Lisa Naylor, a counselor in the program, feels there has been significant progress in regards to support for Manitobans’ mental health.
“The funding for this program is a great example of that. I think it is important that we don’t become so fixated on the quest for thinness that we sacrifice both physical and mental health,” said Naylor.
The clinic will be expanding its services by increasing the number of group programs, as well as support and consultation for affected families. Naylor stresses the importance of early intervention: “It may seem ‘normal’ to be constantly on a diet or [be] worrying about your weight, however, those are the early signs of disordered eating and could lead to more serious problems.”
The clinic is the first of its kind in the province, and its goal is to make programs available to people who may not be eligible for hospital care, or for those who want milder services. The clinic also hopes to offer some unique activities, such as a yoga program for women struggling with bulimia, and eventually, services geared towards men.
In today’s society, self-image weighs heavily on people’s minds, said Dr. Lisa Berzins, a clinical psychologist.
Berzins declared that young women have indicated in surveys they are more afraid of being overweight than of cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents. This fear leads to devastating consequences.
A Report on Mental Illnesses released by the government of Canada in 2006 estimated that up to 450,000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder. Jean Kilbourne, internationally recognized media activist, blames these statistics on magazines and television programs. “Women internalize stereotypes and judge themselves by the beauty industry’s standards. Women learn to compare themselves to other women,” said Kilbourne.
Jennifer Orr, program coordinator of Peers: Students Helping Students at the U of M, advocates that women’s social and political situation will not be improved through the transformation of their bodies, but by improving their position in society.
Orr strongly believes that prevention must begin with education. “The existence of groups like the Womyn’s Centre and the student counseling centre are powerful tools for change and transformation. There is also a great deal of opportunity to research and study these issues within both academic and applied contexts.”
The Women’s Health Clinic estimates that at least 17,000 students in Manitoba, aged 12-20 years, reveal “abnormal” eating patterns.
Although there continues to be a barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty in the mass media, women are encouraged educate themselves about the amount of image manipulation that is present in advertisements and to stop comparing themselves to unrealistic representations.
“Learn coping strategies, develop good conflict resolution skills and problem solving skills; with those three things in your back pocket you will have genuine solutions to life’s challenges instead of trying to cope with problems through restrictive eating or over exercising,” said Naylor.
She continued, “It is important to remember that a number on a scale is never the measure of one’s self-worth.”
