The Controversy Surrounding Medically Assisted Dying for Long-Standing Eating Disorders

In this episode as we sit down with Dr. Anita Federici, a leading expert in eating
disorders, to unpack one of the most complex and controversial topics in the field: Severe Enduring Eating Disorders (SEEDs) and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). Essentially, what to do with the people who don’t “improve” after standard interventions. This conversation dives into the dangers of labelling and the importance of cultivating hope as an antidote to the common symptom of suicidality and chronic systemic gaps in care. We tackle difficult questions about balancing patients’ rights and autonomy with the duty to provide effective treatment. Reasons to be optimistic about insights derived from more lived-experience practitioners in the field are noted, while acknowledging the ongoing need to counter growing concerns related to our economically based mental health care system.