THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON EATING DISORDERS

1. To establish links and maintain contact between individuals and institutions throughout Europe who work with eating disorder sufferers in any context.
2. To provide a forum to share information and ideas about treatment of eating disorders and to further and improve understanding of effective therapies.
3. To improve knowledge and research into eating disorders and to encourage research collaboration between different European countries.
4. To establish an accessible data base containing information on clinicians, researchers, other workers and treatment centres involved in aspects of eating disorders.
5. To organise intra-European meetings.
6. To provide a centralised source of papers relating to eating disorders for colleagues in Central & Eastern Europe who might otherwise find such papers difficult to obtain.

ACTIVITIES

The general council meeting is held every two years in a different European country. A debate and discussion format is specified for this meeting, however responsibility for organisation is passed each year to the host group. The location of the next venue is decided upon by those members attending the previous meeting.

2. Satellite meetings adressing special topics are convened at any time in the intervening years by arrangement with the steering committee.

3. Publication of the proceedings of meetings will be pursued when possible.

The Council is open to clinicians, researchers and workers in any field of eating disorders in any European country. At present there are over 500 members from public, private and voluntary organisations. Applicants can obtain a membership form from Prof. Lacey, ECED, Mental Health Sciences, St.George's Medical School, London SW17 0RE, UK

The current membership of the steering committee of the ECED is Dr. Bridget Dolan, Prof. J. Hubert Lacey, Dr. Edward Stonehill (UK), Prof. Walter Vandereycken (Belgium).

An edited volume containing papers presented at the ECED sattelite meeting on "Gender Issues in Eating Disorders" was produced by the ECED in 1991 and is now in its second revised edition. This book entitled "Why women ? gender issues in eating disorders" by B.Dolan and I. Gitzinger (eds) is available from Athlone Press, 1 Park Drive London, NW11 7SG, UK at £9.95 in paperback and £19.95 in hardback.

CONTENTS

1. Why women - Gender issues and eating disorders Bridget Dolan (England)

SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECTS

2. Female sex-role conflicts and eating disorders Winny Weeda-Mannak (Netherlands)

3. The relationships between daughters and mothers and bulimia nervosa Karin Bell (Germany)

4. How important is body image for bulimic women? Judith Bullerwell-Ravar (France)

5. The media influence on eating problems Glen Waller & Julie Shaw (England)

THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES

6. Women therapists for women clients? Rose Stockwell & Bridget Dolan (England)

7. Can female patients benefit from a male therapist? Werner Köpp (Germany)

8. Self-help groups for women with bulimia nervosa Jennifer Munro & Malcolm Laing (Scotland)

9. Psycho-social Factors in eating disorders explored through psychodrama and art therapy Mary Levens (England)

10. Using the methaphor of compulsive eating in groups Sheila Ritchie (England)

SEXUAL EXPERIENCES

11. Eating patterns and unwanted sexual experiences Rachel Calam & Peter Slade (England)

12. Sexual education programme for women with eating disorders Ellie Van Vreckem & Walter Vandereycken (Belgium)

WHAT ABOUT THE MEN ?

13. Self-help groups for people with eating disorders: Is there a place for men? Pat Hartley (England)

14. Anorexia nervosa in boys Rachel Bryant-Waugh (England)