We’re striving to do better.
Earlier this year, we were thrilled to receive a Capacities Building and Emerging Issues Grant from the City of Calgary to do a needs assessment on how we can design our services to be more inclusive.
Research shows us that underserved and marginalized demographics, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) and 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, plus) communities, often struggle to access mental health and eating disorder support.
We already know that:
BIPOC individuals are just as likely as their white counterparts to develop an eating disorder, but half as likely to be diagnosed or get treatment. (1)
Bisexual and gay men and adolescent boys are at increased risk of developing eating disorders more than their heterosexual counterparts. (2)
2SLGBTQIA+ youth who are Indigenous reported the highest rates of being diagnosed with an eating disorder. (3)
As many as 70 percent of trans youth have experienced behaviours associated with eating disorders including binge eating, purging and calorie restriction. (4)
These are startling statistics which remind us that eating disorders are complex and prevalent, often impacting the most vulnerable members of our society.
Our needs assessment will focus on how these challenges present right here in Calgary and what we need to do to ensure inclusive and accessible treatment for everyone. Our starting point is to connect with other non-profits in the city to understand how to better serve the demographics they support. Our aim is ultimately to co-design eating disorder resources and supports in collaboration with them.
Additionally, we will be reaching out to equity-deserving youth and young adults, particularly from 2SLGBTQIA+ and racialized populations, to hear from them directly on how we can make our services more inclusive and accessible and how we can be more present and visible within their communities.
We are excited for the changes ahead and hope to better serve ALL Calgarians in the future.
Silver Linings Foundation is Alberta’s eating disorder resource, dedicated to advocacy and recovery. Our team are experts in the field of youth and adult mental health.
We offer online and in-person programs for teenagers and adults in eating disorder recovery as well as support for parents and loved ones caring for someone with an eating disorder.
References:
Deloitte Access Economics. (2020). Social and economic cost of eating disorders in the United States of America: A report for the strategic training initiative for the prevention of eating disorders and the academy for eating disorders. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/wp-content/uploads/sites/1267/2020/07/Social-Economic-Cost-of-Eating-Disorders-in-US.pdf
Parker, L.L., & Harriger, J.A. (2020). Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in the LGBT population: A review of the literature. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(51). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y
The Trevor Project. (2022). Research brief: Eating disorders among LGBTQ youth. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Embargoed_Feb-2022-Research-Brief.pdf
Ålgars, M., Alanko, K., Santtila, P., & Sandnabba, N. K. (2012). Disordered eating and gender identity disorder: a qualitative study. Eating disorders, 20(4), 300–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2012.668482
Silver Linings Foundation is Alberta’s eating disorder resource, dedicated to advocacy and recovery. Our team are experts in the field of youth and adult mental health.
We offer online and in-person programs for teenagers and adults in eating disorder recovery as well as support for parents and loved ones caring for someone with an eating disorder. Check them out here.