NEDIC stands for the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.
We are located in Toronto, Canada on the Traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas, and Haudenosaunee — Dish With One Spoon Territory.
NEDIC operates Canada’s only national eating disorder helpline and is available through instant chat, phone, and email. Our helpline provides information, resources, referrals, and in-the-moment support for those affected by eating disorders and related concerns.
At NEDIC, we want to create as safe of a space for you. NEDIC adheres to a non-dieting, Health at Every Size®, and equitable philosophy. We commit to being non-judgmental, compassionate, and respectful to your needs and boundaries. We respect everyone’s ability to make their own decisions about their wellbeing, including the food they eat.
We also recognize that not everyone has access to the same resources and privileges. NEDIC works hard to ensure that everyone has a voice and the people who are affected by eating disorders and mental health struggles are treated with kindness and dignity. We believe everyone deserves support and recovery from an eating disorder, however that may look to them.
Our direct client support workers will support you in the ways that you feel you need it most. That might look like sending over some resources for you to read, referring you to a community organization or professional near you, or talking through some coping strategies.
We’re also happy to be your listener, answer your questions, and even connect you with further supports for anything else you might need help with. We will not tell you what to do or push you to take a specific course of action.
NEDIC offers support through phone, live chat, or e-mail. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to us.
Phone – Toll-Free: 1-866-633-4220
Phone – Greater Toronto Area: 416-340-4156
Phone line hours: Monday to Thursday 9AM to 9PM (EST), Friday 9AM to 5PM (EST)
Live chat – https://nedic.ca/ click the purple button at the bottom of the screen on mobile or the green button in the bottom right corner on a desktop.
Live chat hours: Monday to Thursday 9AM to 9PM (EST), Friday 9AM to 5PM (EST), Saturday and Sunday 1PM to 7PM (EST) Weekend hours brought to you by BEAT UK
E-mail – nedic@uhn.ca
E-mail hours: We check our e-mail account and respond to e-mail messages on weekdays
NEDIC is not a crisis line.
If you are in a crisis, please visit Crisis Services Canada to find crisis support near you or call 1-833-456-4566. You can also contact Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868. You can also call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room if that is safe and possible for you.
After the crisis has passed, NEDIC will be happy to help you find further support.
We never want to leave anyone without support and will always try our best to ensure that you have support. However, if you are outside of Canada, the type of support that is accessible may be limited.
Here are a few eating disorder organizations outside of Canada with helplines:
An extensive list of eating disorder organizations around the world is available here.
The short answer: Yes, our helpline services are confidential. Your information will not be shared with anyone outside of NEDIC. You can share as much or as little as you like.
The long answer: We only know what you tell us. That might mean we know your first name (or nickname), your pronouns, and any other information that you choose to share with us. We ask for your age and location so we can find resources that are most appropriate to you, given that some services have regional limitations and/or are designed to support certain age groups. Please know providing this information is not mandatory — we will listen and try our best to support you regardless.
If you mention you are in a situation which is dangerous to yourself or others, we will let you know that we are worried. You will have the option to keep talking, or we can refer you to an organization which is better equipped to help with these concerns. If you are concerned for your safety, we can also help you make a report to the most appropriate agency if you share some information with us (for example: your full name and phone number), but that would be your decision.
You can read our website privacy policy here.
Thanks for choosing to do your project on such an important topic! Feel free to browse our website! We have a ton of information about eating disorders, especially under "Get Informed" and "Resources.”
If you have specific questions that you’re having a hard time answering, send an email message to nedic@uhn.ca and we’ll do our best to get back to you. We want to be mindful that our helpline services are meant for those in need of support.
We‘re not medical professionals and are unable to give medical advice or diagnoses. If you’re interested in receiving a diagnosis, please feel free to chat with us and we can talk about what that process might look like. We can also offer some resources that can help you along in that process.
The entire NEDIC team is 100% human! We can guarantee you will speak with a genuine person who will help you out with whatever you may need.
We have two different screening tools that can help you identify whether your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours relating to food, eating, and/or your body are consistent with symptoms of an eating disorder:
1. Screen for Disordered Eating (PDF)
Important note: these are not diagnostic tools and not substitutes for a professional evaluation.
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses and they can look different from person to person. You can learn more about the different types of eating disorders here. If you’re concerned, we’re concerned too. Reach out to us. We can talk a bit more about what’s been going on and potential next steps for you. Everyone deserves support.
It can be tough to bring up worries about eating disorders with the adults in our lives and NEDIC can help you out with that. Talk to us about your thoughts and concerns. We can help you figure out how to have that important conversation, give you some resources to share with your trusted adults, and even help you find support options in your area.
It can be frustrating when resources are limited or hard to find. The amazing thing about support is that it comes in so many forms in different places. Services are available across Canada, even virtually! Help is still an option, and we can figure out what is available to you.
Yes, we do! Please visit the Community Education section of our website to learn more.
Yes, we do! NEDIC offers workshops to elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary students. Workshops for students address topics that include media literacy, body image, self-care, and how to support friends. Please visit the Community Education section of our website to learn more.
In addition, we offer a media literacy-based body image and self-esteem curriculum for students in grades 4 through 8, Beyond Images / Au-delà de l'image.
NEDIC posts recruitment details for approved and relevant studies in the Research Listings section of our website. Please email nedic@uhn.ca if you’d like your study to be listed.
Please read the post here for more information and instructions.