The Nordic Eating Disorder Society (NEDS)
Exchange of experience with the aim to increase knowledge and improve treatment of eating disorders
The Nordic Eating Disorder Society (NEDS) has as its primary object to serve as a forum for new contacts and exchange of experiences among eating disorder professionals in the Nordic countries to increase knowledge about and improve the treatment of eating disorders.
This objective is attained by (not in order of priority):
- Facilitating research in the field, especially research that implies co-operation among professionals in the field in the Nordic countries
- Promoting co-operation among professionals working in a clinical context in the field in the Nordic countries
- Working to make existing and new knowledge in the field available to members of the Society
- Promoting contacts with corresponding organisations outside the Nordic countries
General assembly
NEDS invites all members to participate in the next General Assembly, which will be held on Tuesday, September 24th, 2024, at 15.30 at the NEDS pre-conference event at Vartov, Copenhagen. At the meeting, NEDS will elect a new chairperson and decide on minor changes to the rules of the society. The meeting agenda and materials are found below.
The rules of NEDS
The board
All members of the National societies in the NEDS are automatically members of the NEDS. The board consists of one ordinary member from each member country. The national societies elect the representatives. The board’s chairperson is elected by general vote at the general assembly. The election period for the chairman is 4 years.
Chairman
- Sanna Aila Gustafsson, Sweden, sanna.aila-gustafsson(at)regionorebrolan.se
Board members
- Pia Charpentier, vice chair, Finland, pia.charpentier(at)syomishairiokeskus.fi
- Therese Fostervold Mathiesen, Norway, therese.f.mathisen(at)hiof.no
- Inger Becker, Denmark, inger.becker(at)rn.dk
- Maria Stefansson, Sweden, Treasurer, maria.stefansson(at)akademiska.se
- Heiða Rut Guðmundsdóttir, secretary, Iceland, heidarg(at)landspitali.is
Nordic cooperation
The Nordic cooperation within the NEDS is organised mainly via Nordic Interest Groups.
A Nordic Interest Group (NIG) can be formed under NEDS auspices if:
- The NIG deals with a significant (clinical and/or research) issue concerning eating disorders. The main objective is to come together to create a Nordic network.
- There must be a job description outlining the NIG work and goals. The job description shall describe the background, goals, participants, and work plan for how the project will promote research about and/or treatment of eating disorders in the Nordic countries.
- At least two Nordic countries must be represented in the NIG.
- The NIG may seek funding from NEDS to arrange webinars open to all NEDS members.
NIG SIGMA
SIGMA is a Nordic network inviting professionals in contact with pregnant women and mothers suffering from an eating disorder. The purpose is to share knowledge to enhance the development of best practices towards this group, based on both clinical experience and the scientific literature.
NIG MFT
Multifamily therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa for the young patient. 15 centres in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway collaborate in the development and evaluation of this rather new treatment method.
NIG Sports and exercise
The aim is to increase knowledge and competence about eating disorders, sports and exercise, build a network of clinicians and researchers, apply for funding to develop a web-based course, and examine possibilities for collaboration in research between the Nordic countries.
NIG SIGMA
The aim/purpose of the NIG:
SIGMA is a new Nordic network inviting professionals in contact with pregnant women and mothers suffering from an eating disorder. The purpose of the network is to share knowledge to enhance the development of best practices towards this group, based on both clinical experience and the scientific literature. The initiative is a joint venture between professionals with a broad experience in the field from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
In the lack of a forum to share knowledge and experience in the field, the idea of a clinical network was created during a seminar on eating disorders in Oslo in November 2011. To explore the general interest in establishing a network, we presented the idea of a Nordic interest group at The NEDS meeting in Copenhagen in September 2012. In light of positive comments, we decided to realize the concept. The first start-up meeting took place in Oslo in November 2013.
Contact:
Cecilia Brundin Pettersson, Nutritionist, Projektledare VIKTiga mammor Z-län, Östersund, cecilia.pettersson(@)regionjh.se
NIG MFT – Multi Family therapy for Eating Disorders
Group members:
About 80 people working at eating disorder units in:
- Norway: Tromsø, Bodø, Oslo, Tønsberg and Drammen
- Denmark: Odense, Aarhus and Copenhagen
- Sweden: Lund, Stockholm, Kalmar, Linköping and Umeå
The aim/purpose of the NIG:
Multifamily therapy in treating anorexia nervosa for the young patient was introduced in Nordic countries six years ago. Today there are 15 centres in Denmark, Sweden and Norway that collaborate in the development and evaluation of the treatment method. It is a new treatment method in the field of eating disorders, which needs to be evaluated thoroughly. Therefore it is essential to establish and develop Nordic cooperation that might support the notion that multifamily therapy might contribute to making enduring changes for the young patient with anorexia nervosa, thereby defending its position as a part of the essential treatment.
Contact:
Ulf Wallin, Sweden (ulf.wallin(@)skane.se)
Additional information:
- We meet annually, and the next meeting is planned in Tønsberg, Norway. Delegates from Norway and Sweden attended the meeting.
- We have a workgroup that has been working on a protocol for the evaluation of the method.
- We have a training course that is now a 7,5 point course at Lund University.
NIG Sports and exercise – Eating disorders, sports and exercise
The aim/purpose of the NIG:
The aim is to increase knowledge and competence about eating disorders, sports and exercise in the Nordic countries.
- build a network of clinicians and researchers interested in sports, exercise and eating disorders in the Nordic countries (deadline December 2016)
- apply for funding to develop a web-based course in eating disorders, sports and exercise (deadline May 2017)
- examine possibilities for collaboration in research between the Nordic countries (deadline September 2017)
Contact:
Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, solfrid.bratland-sanda(@)hit.no
Additional information:
Solfrid Bratland-Sanda and Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen will chair the group. A total of 68 persons signed up for the group at the workshop in Helsinki. There are clinicians and/or researchers from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Estonia registered on our list.