Eating disorders clinic long overdue: Withers

New government funding will allow patients to be treated locally, instead of seeking help outside Newfoundland and Labrador, says an eating disorders activist in St. John's.

Vince Withers, who founded the Eating Disorders Foundation in 2006 after the death of his daughter Renata, was pleased to see the Newfoundland and Labrador government allot $228,000 for a specialized clinic.

"Young people have been roaming around the health-care system, trying to find someone to talk to and somebody to look after their treatment," said Withers.

The clinic will be run through the Eastern Health regional authority.

"The clinic will provide us with a front door. It will have a name on it and it'll be totally focused on eating disorder families, so for the first time we will have a place to go," he said.

"This is a major breakthrough for eating disorder families in this province."

Withers,a retired chief executive officer of Newtel Communications, founded the foundation with his wife after Renata Withers, 27, died of anorexia in 2005. The Withers have said they were frustrated trying to find specialized help for their daughter, who weighed less than 60 pounds when she died.

Eastern Health has staff who treat patients with eating disorders, but not under a common umbrella.

Health Minister Ross Wiseman said the new clinic will have a "specialized team who understands eating disorders." The team includes a psychologist, a nurse, a dietitian, social workers and therapists.

In recent years, the province has sent about 30 people per year to mainland hospitals for treatment.

Wiseman said research indicates that about 7,300 people in the province suffer from eating disorders. He said once the program is up and running, the province will spend as much as $700,000 per year to treat eating disorders.