The Academy of Eating Disorders is to be congratulated for acknowledging the role of patients and carers in research and treatment.

Two Patient-Carer scholarships have been awarded to attend the 2010 Academy of Eating Disorders international conference in Salzburg, Austria, in June.  I am delighted to be one of the two scholarship recipients. The other is US friend, author and outstanding eating disorder blogger Carrie Arnold (Carrie's blog is Ed Bites).

Carrie and I will be honoured, along with other AED scholarship and grant recipients, at an awards ceremony scheduled to take place at the start of Plenary IV on the Saturday of the conference.
The AED Scholarship & Research Grant Information website explains that the two Patient/Carer Scholarships have been made possible by a generous contribution to the Academy from Donna and Randy Friedman: These two one-time-only scholarships will provide an opportunity for the valuable face-to-face exchange of ideas and information among researchers, clinicians, and patient/carers. The exchange of new ideas with multiple voices fits well with the AED mission to be the premier organization in the research, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders through facilitating the development of multidisciplinary expertise.

I’m sure that Carrie and I will strive our best to give and also gain a lot from this conference. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder – whether mild or severe – I have something to share with you that might help.
Cat Garceau, an Olympian, author, researcher and counsellor in the field of eating disorder recovery, is hosting an exciting new educational program called the Wellness Olympiad. It starts March 22nd and I will be featured in an interview with Cat in regards to my work on April 8th-9th.

Who is Cat Garceau?

Cat Garceau is a former Olympic athlete. She won a Bronze Medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney as a member of the Canada Synchronized Swimming team. In spite of her success, Cat struggled for years with eating disorders, depression and ill health. She spent several years exploring the root causes of her health problems, and her research led her on a spiritual journey toward a new holistic model of recovery and wellness – focused on the Brain, Body and Spirit.

What is the Wellness Olympiad?

The Wellness Olympiad is a unique online educational program that Cat Garceau developed to teach her new model of eating disorder recovery and holistic wellness. It’s a six week program with classes offered online via tele-seminar – you can take the classes at whatever time fits your needs; either listening in on the live conversation, or by playing a recording.
With the Wellness Olympiad, Cat Garceau is offering the best and most comprehensive distillation of what she has learned about eating disorder recovery and holistic health – along with an impressive panel of guest speakers and experts (which I am part of).

The full details about the Wellness Olympiad are available here: Wellness Olympiad

•    If you are ready to rid yourself of negative self-perceptions about your body …
•    If you are ready to step away from the limitations and shame of disordered eating…
•    If you are ready to embrace an empowered way of living…
•    If you are ready to join a supportive community of peers, mentors and teachers, united in the cause of healing and spiritual wholeness…

Then maybe you should sign up for the Wellness Olympiad. I’m excited to introduce Cat Garceau to you – she is an inspiring, emerging leader.