Statement on Eating Disorders made to the House of Commons, by Mr. Doug Eyolfson (MP, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley), on October 4, 2016.
The Statement on Eating Disorders made to the House of Commons, by Mr. Doug Eyolfson (MP, Charleswood – St. James – Assiniboia-Headingley), on October 4, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the complex and devastating issue of Eating Disorders in Canada. Unfortunately, not many are aware of the dark reality of Eating Disorders in this country. Therefore, as part of Mental Illness Awareness Week, I would like to shed light on these difficult illnesses.
They affect an estimated 600,000 to 900,000 Canadians at any given time and impact Canadian men and women of all ages and ethnicities. Research has shown that Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses.
From my career as an emergency physician, I can attest to the struggles and serious negative health implications that people with eating disorders face. It’s time for all Canadians to look outside the stigma of mental illness and recognize Eating Disorders as a serious health issue. By acknowledging this mental illness, we are in turn helping the thousands of Canadians struggling to overcome this issue.