The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation is investing in improved treatment for two critical mental health issues: obesity and eating disorders.

Severe obesity in teenagers is an increasingly prevalent problem. This condition leads to short-term and long-term health complications, and diminishes quality and length of life. Until three years ago, severely obese teens had no dedicated services outside of Toronto.

Through funding from the Family of Support initiative, Montreal Children’s Hospital has continued to not only deliver but scale the gold standard intervention for young people with eating disorders: Family-Based Therapy (FBT). Montreal Children’s was the first hospital in Quebec to provide licensed and accredited FBT for eating disorders, primarily anorexia and bulimia. These illnesses have both psychological and physical components, and can have a dramatic impact on growth, brain function, bone strength, sexual development and cardiac health. By intervening where possible before patients’ conditions have become severe enough to warrant inpatient care, FBT has led to a drastic reduction in the number and duration of hospitalizations. The Family of Support partnership has enabled continued investment in this program during and since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the prevalence of eating disorders increased dramatically.