THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON EATING DISORDERS

The European Council on Eating Disorders (ECED) was established in 1989 and held its inaugural meeting in London. The ECED is an informal multidisciplinary network of people from throughout Europe who work with eating disorder sufferers in a variety of contexts.

AIMS

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

1. 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.
   

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

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

STEERING COMMITTEE

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