Building a Foundation for Lasting Recovery
Early Intervention is Key
Eating Disorders are serious mental illnesses, there are many different types of eating disorders, and they can affect anyone which impacts an individual’s physical, psychological and psychosocial health and functioning.
They are not a lifestyle choice, a diet-gone-wrong or a cry for attention. There are many different types of eating disorders that exist, and they can affect anyone. Feeding and eating disorders include: pica, rumination disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, other specified feeding or eating disorders and unspecified feeding or eating disorders.
Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible through early detection and early intervention. By educating ourselves, we can begin to end the stigma and ensure the proper supports are there for those who need them.
Binge Eating Disorder
 Symptoms include:
- Eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is larger than most people would eat in similar circumstances
- A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (unable to stop or control what/how much is eaten)
- Eating alone due to embarrassment about the amount consumed
- Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating
- Marked distress about the binge eating
- Binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months
Bulimia Nervosa
Symptoms include:
- Eats larger amount than normal
- Lack of control over eating
- Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviour to prevent weight gain (e.g. self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills, fasting or excessive exercising)
- Self-evaluation unduly influenced by body shape and weight
- Binge eating and compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least once a week for 3 months
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms include:
- Food restriction leading to low body weight
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
- Self-evaluation unduly influenced by body shape and weight
- Restricting Type: primarily dieting, fasting, excessive exercise x 3 months
Binge Eating/Purging Type: recurrent binge eating, vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics or diet pills at least for 3 months
The Harbour in London will be operated and managed as a pilot project to demonstrate a comprehensive model of care. EDFC has the goal of transferring its knowledge as piloted in London by establishing Chapters in other communities using its established treatment protocols, operating systems, designs, patient assessments and placement in research programs. Local Chapters of The Harbour would operate as separate non-profit organizations with its own board of directors and local financial supports with the benefit of a licensed package of services from EDFC to efficiently move forward.
Each new non-profit Chapter would readily become operational by using an established service model, saving years of individual efforts to develop a separate approach to addressing eating disorders. Best of all, those in need would more quickly have a place to receive treatment and regular support.
A Chapter’s financial operations would be based on charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, local fundraising, co-payment agreements with individual patients, available health insurance, government grants and other supports. While we are not in a position to offer individual chapters financial support, our licensed model will provide significant savings by learning from EDFC’s years of development work in creating its innovative model of care and operating experience.
Through regularly scheduled online conferences with The Harbour-London and affiliated Chapters, advances, successes and challenges would be shared and discussed for the benefit al all.
A network of Chapters working together will expand opportunities for operating grants from governments, broader support from Canadian corporations, other institutions, and individuals touched by a challenging eating disorder in their families.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC
robbie.campbell@edfc.ca
Chapter Development
A better way to support students and young adults with eating disorders
The Harbour: A Scalable Model of Care
The Harbour in London provides treatment and support for underserved young adults while serving as a demonstration site for EDFC’s model of care. Following the London pilot launched in late 2024, EDFC plans to expand this approach by establishing local Chapters in communities across Canada.
Each Chapter will operate as an independent non-profit, supported by a licensed service package from EDFC that includes proven treatment protocols, operating systems, and brand standards. Chapters collaborate nationally, follow a Licensing Agreement, and are supported through donations, co-payments, sponsors or insurers, and government grants accelerating access to care and strengthening opportunities for partnerships and funding.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC and CMO of The Harbour
National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED)
NIED is the national voice for Canadians affected by eating disorders, supporting families, caregivers, individuals, and practitioners through education, prevention, and improved treatment practices.
Resource Links are found at NIED.ca
Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC-ATAC)
EDAC-ATAC is a national association of professionals dedicated to improving care for individuals affected by eating disorders across Canada.
For more information visit https://www.edac-atac.ca/
As well as addressing the needs of an underserved young adult population with treatment and support, The Harbour in London will be operated and managed as a demonstration project for its comprehensive model of care.   EDFC has the goal of transferring its knowledge as piloted in London since late 2024, by establishing Chapters in other communities using its established program, operating systems, treatment protocols, brand, premises design, etc.  Local Chapters of The Harbour would operate as separate non-profit organizations with its own board of directors and local financial supports with the benefit of a licensed package of services from EDFC to efficiently move forward.
Each new non-profit Chapter would readily become operational by using EDFC’s innovative and established service model, saving years of individual efforts to develop a separate approach to addressing eating disorders.  Best of all, those in need would more quickly have a place to receive an established program of treatment and support.   Through regularly scheduled online conferences with The Harbour-London and other Chapters, advances, successes and challenges would be shared and discussed for the benefit al all.
Each Chapter of The Harbour would be operated locally according to standards established in a Licensing Agreement.   A Chapter’s operation would be based on three financial pillars, namely: charitable donations, co-payment agreements with individual patients, sponsors and/or insurers, government grants and other supports.  While we are not in a position to offer individual chapters financial support immediately, our licensed model will provide significant savings by learning from EDFC’s years of development work in creating its innovative model of care and operating experience.  Chapter Agreements would transfer the social enterprise model, patient assessment protocols, operational systems and  participation in research programs.   Â
It should not be overlooked that as a network of Chapters, working together rather than in individual silos, will increase our opportunities for our joint support from Canadian corporations, operating grants from provincial and the federal governments, other institutions, and high-wealth individuals touched by a challenging eating disorder in their families.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC and CMO of The Harbour
robbie.campbell@edfc.ca
National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED)
NIED is the voice for Canadian families, caregivers, and individuals who are affected by eating disorders and other co-morbid and concurrent diagnoses. Â They help caregivers, patients, and practitioners fill gaps in care through education and by highlighting better practices in prevention, health promotion, and treatment.
Resource Links are found at NIED.ca
Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC-ATAC)
EDAC-ATAC is a Canadian organization of professionals in the field of eating disorders and related areas. The mandate of EDAC-ATAC is to best serve the needs of those whose lives are impacted by eating disorders.
The EDAC-ATAC welcome new members to this Canadian association of eating disorder professionals. Members have the opportunity to be part of a growing organization dedicated to improving care for individuals with eating disorders across Canada.
For more information visit https://www.edac-atac.ca/