Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW): February 1–7

Feb 2, 2026

Raising Awareness. Challenging Stigma. Expanding Access to Care. 

Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) is recognized each year from February 1–7 as a national movement dedicated to raising awareness, improving understanding, and challenging the stigma and barriers that prevent access to care.  

EDAW brings together individuals, communities, and organizations from across Canada. Local events, public education campaigns, and purple landmark lightings help spark conversations about eating disorders—conditions that are often misunderstood and surrounded by harmful stereotypes. 

This year’s theme is “Health doesn’t have a look” 

We invite you and your community to challenge the harmful belief that thinness equals health. Messages rooted in diet culture, weight stigma, and healthism can negatively impact how people view their bodies and their relationship with food. These ideas don’t just cause individual harm – they are part of broader systems that unfairly judge, exclude, and marginalize those who don’t fit our society’s narrow appearance standards. Let’s work together to promote body respect, inclusion, and a more compassionate understanding of health. 

 
What are the goals of this year’s campaign? 

• Take action at every level —in your own life, in your community, and within larger health and social systems — to break the power of diet culture and challenge weight stigma 

• Learn the tools to spot and resist harmful messages that shape how we see food, body size, and movement 

• Create safe, welcoming spaces that don’t focus on weight — at home, at school, in healthcare, and on social media 

• Explore trusted resources and services 

Eating disorders can affect anyone, people of all genders, ages, abilities, cultures, races, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While eating disorders disproportionately affect women and girls, research shows that: 

1 in 4 people with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and 1 in 3 people with binge eating disorder identify as boys and men. People from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are also at increased risk, and racialized individuals experience eating disorders at similar rates while often facing additional barriers to care. 

There is no single cause of an eating disorder. These conditions are complex and multifaceted, influenced by genetic, biological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors. 

Despite their prevalence, eating disorders remain significantly undertreated in Canada. Over 1.7 million people are affected at any given time. An estimated 1.4 million youth in Canada are affected, yet only 25 percent receive appropriate treatment. 

Early identification and timely access to care are essential. Eating disorders have the highest overall mortality rate of any mental illness, estimated at 10–15%, yet treatment works and recovery is possible. 

Join the Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disordes Coalition ‘Faces of Recovery’ online event, February 4, 2026 from 7-8:30 PM, for a panel discussion featuring individuals on the road to recovery from eating disorders and their loved ones.  Register here: FACES of Recovery 2026 — Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disorders Coalition 

Other online events are being hosted by organizations across the country, information can be found on the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) website: NEDIC | events 

CMHA Waterloo Wellington: Coordinated, EvidenceBased Care 

The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington is part of a provincial network providing coordinated and evidencebased eating disorder services. The CMHA WW Eating Disorders Program offers: 

• Comprehensive assessment 

• Teambased care with a nurse practitioner, dietitian, and therapist 

• Services for children, youth, and adults 

Learn more about our services: Services for Eating Disorders – CMHA Waterloo Wellington 
Additional family and individual resources can be found here: Resources – CMHA Waterloo Wellington