National Eating Disorder Information Centre

What National Eating Disorder Information Centre does

National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is a Canadian nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and operated as a program of the University Health Network (UHN), headquartered in Toronto. It operates Canada's only national toll-free helpline and live chat providing resources, referrals, and support to people across Canada affected by disordered eating. Services are accessible via phone (1-866-633-4220), Toronto line (416-340-4156), email ([email protected]), and live chat, with extended hours including weekends. NEDIC serves individuals with eating disorders, their families and caregivers, educators, healthcare providers, and specific communities including BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and neurodivergent populations. The organization addresses a market of nearly 1 million Canadians living with diagnosable eating disorders and millions more struggling with food and weight preoccupation.

NEDIC's core products and services comprise the national helpline and live chat, a curated service provider directory listing 800+ providers across Canada aligned with a non-dieting, weight-inclusive philosophy, the JEM® chatbot (a rule-based conversational tool licensed from Monash University and adapted for the Canadian context), an extensive resource library of 259+ items (pamphlets, tip sheets, webinars, articles), the Beyond Images curriculum for grades 4-8, the NEDIC Bulletin quarterly publication, a biennial conference, community education workshops, and a blog platform. The underlying technology stack is largely traditional helpline infrastructure supplemented by the rule-based JEM® chatbot for low-barrier text-based access. NEDIC has entered partnerships with BEAT (UK), Body Brave, Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, CCES, and the Dove Self-Esteem Project.

NEDIC operates as a registered Canadian charity (charitable registration number 12386 4068 RR 0001) funded primarily through donations coordinated via the UHN Foundation, supplemented by grants such as Bell Let's Talk. All services are provided free of charge to end users. The business model is a freemium nonprofit structure: zero revenue from users, with operational funding coming from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and institutional grants. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on awareness campaigns such as Eating Disorders Awareness Week and the World Eating Disorders Action Day (June 2), content marketing, and partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations to reach affected individuals and their support networks.

Name

National Eating Disorder Information Centre

Legal name

National Eating Disorder Information Centre

Website

https://nedic.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is a Canadian nonprofit founded in 1985 and operated as a University Health Network program, providing Canada's only national toll-free helpline, live chat, service provider directory, and educational resources for individuals affected by eating disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eating Disorder Support Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Eating Disorder Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Eating Disorder Recovery Nutrition Support (HSADAFAM), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Eating disorder support
• Mental health helpline
• Disordered eating education
• Community health services
• Eating disorder resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: NEDIC relies on donations from the public to fund its helpline, prevention-based outreach, and education programming. Fundraising is coordinated through the UHN Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NEDIC operates Canada's only national toll-free helpline and live chat providing resources, referrals, and emotional support to people affected by disordered eating. Its core offerings include phone/email/chat helpline services, a curated service provider directory of 800+ treatment providers, an extensive library of educational resources, the JEM® chatbot, and community education programs focused on awareness and prevention.

Product overview

NEDIC offers a suite of support services centered around its national helpline (phone, email, and live chat), complemented by a searchable online service provider directory, a resource library with over 259 materials, and the JEM® chatbot for low-barrier information access. Educational offerings include the Beyond Images curriculum for grades 4-8, community education workshops, and a biennial conference. The quarterly NEDIC Bulletin and blog provide ongoing professional and community education content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JEM: A rule-based chatbot co-designed with people with lived experience of eating disorders, developed for the Canadian context. Originally developed at Monash University, now owned by Professor Gemma Sharp.

Products and services

• Helpline Services Canada's only national toll-free helpline (1-866-633-4220, 416-340-4156) providing resources, referrals, and support to people across Canada affected by disordered eating. Available via phone, email ([email protected]), and live chat.
• Service Provider Directory An online directory of 800+ eating disorder treatment providers across Canada, including dietitians, psychotherapists, inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, and social workers, all screened for alignment with NEDIC's non-dieting, weight-inclusive philosophy.
• JEM® Chatbot A rule-based chatbot co-designed with people with lived experience of eating disorders, providing a low-barrier way for users to find relevant resources from NEDIC's website through text-based prompts matched to relevant NEDIC information.
• Resources Library An extensive library of over 259 resources including pamphlets, tip sheets, articles, videos, webinars, and academic journals covering eating disorder topics, diagnoses, and treatment approaches. Developed by or in consultation with eating disorder experts and available in multiple languages.
• Beyond Images Curriculum A free curriculum for grades 4 through 8 (with French version Au-delà de l'image) focused on media literacy and body image, providing activities to build resilience against appearance-based bullying and negative stereotypes and promoting critical thinking about media messaging.
• Community Education Program Professional development workshops and targeted educational workshops for children and youth, focused on awareness and prevention of eating disorders, food and weight preoccupation, and disordered eating through critical thinking skills. Available online and in-person in the Greater Toronto Area.
• Biennial Conference NEDIC's biennial conference bringing together researchers, clinicians, and advocates to share papers, workshops, and keynotes advancing eating disorder education and treatment.
• NEDIC Bulletin A quarterly publication featuring articles from professionals and researchers of diverse backgrounds on eating disorders, treatment approaches, and related topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1 million Canadians living with diagnosable eating disorders supported
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• BEAT (UK Eating Disorder Charity)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with BEAT (United Kingdom) for a shared services project which enabled NEDIC to offer helpline services on the weekend for the first time. The project was successful and led to continued weekend funding.
• University Health Network (UHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEDIC is a program of the University Health Network, one of Canada's largest hospital networks. UHN provides organizational infrastructure and support for NEDIC's operations. Fundraising is coordinated through the UHN Foundation.
• Monash UniversitycoreTechnology or IntegrationJEM® chatbot was originally developed at Monash University and is now owned and managed by Professor Gemma Sharp. NEDIC licensed the technology for use in the Canadian context.
• Professor Gemma SharpcoreTechnology or IntegrationProfessor Gemma Sharp owns and manages the JEM® chatbot. She collaborated with NEDIC to adapt the chatbot for the Canadian context.
• Body BravenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Body Brave on resources including a guide for primary care providers and a nutrition care startup kit for dietitians.
• Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual DiversitynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative effort to develop 'Building Body Binaries' workshop for students grades 7-10 addressing intersectionality, beauty standards, and media literacy.
• Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEDIC contributed to BodySense, an interactive e-learning course for adolescent athletes developed by CCES, focused on body image and healthy relationships with body in sport.
• Dove Self-Esteem ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-promotion of body confidence resources. Dove is the largest provider of evidence-based body confidence education in the world.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre: BC-based mental health resource center offering information, peer support, and system navigation for families and youth. Comparable in free information/referral model and Canadian public-health affiliation (BC Children's Hospital), but broader mental health scope.
• Kids Help Phone: Canada's 24/7 national e-mental health service for youth, operating helpline, live chat, and text support. Comparable in operating a national multi-channel helpline in Canada, though broader in scope (general youth mental health) rather than eating-disorder-specific.
• Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV): Australian state-level eating disorders organization providing helpline, information, and peer support. Comparable in service mix (helpline + education + advocacy) and nonprofit structure, though regionally scoped to Victoria.

Direct peers

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): U.S. national nonprofit operating a helpline, extensive resources library, and provider directory for eating disorders. Closest international analog to NEDIC, with comparable helpline/referral/community-education model, although serving the U.S. market.
• BEAT (UK): UK eating disorder charity operating helplines and support services; already a strategic partner of NEDIC (2019 shared services project that enabled NEDIC's weekend helpline). Comparable in mission, services, and operating model.

Emerging players

• Project HEAL: U.S. nonprofit providing treatment access grants and peer support for people with eating disorders. Comparable in eating disorder focus and nonprofit funding model, though emphasizes clinical treatment funding rather than information/helpline.
• Hope for the Day: U.S. nonprofit focused on mental health education, resource navigation, and proactive suicide prevention. Comparable in resource-navigation and community education model, though broader in topic.
• Body Brave: Canadian nonprofit offering eating disorder treatment and support programs in Ontario; existing NEDIC partner. Comparable in Canadian eating disorder focus but emphasizes direct clinical treatment rather than information/referrals.
• F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders): International nonprofit focused on supporting caregivers of people with eating disorders. Comparable in resource-curation and education mission but addresses a narrower audience (families/caregivers) than NEDIC's broader population.

Others

• Dove Self-Esteem Project (Unilever): Corporate-sponsored global body confidence education initiative and existing NEDIC partner. Comparable in evidence-based body image curriculum delivery, though embedded within a CPG company's CSR strategy rather than a standalone nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theNEDIC
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenedic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Eating Disorder Information Centre