In 1989, the European Council on Eating Disorders (ECED) has been
founded in the spirit of an informal and truly European collaboration
and exchange of eating disorders clinicians and researchers. Now it
is my privilege to convene the 9th General Meeting of the European
Council on Eating Disorders (ECED) in Innsbruck, Austria.
This meeting is aimed at presenting the present state of art and
science in the field of eating disorders. Thus, we cordially
invite colleagues (clinicians & researchers) from all 25 European
Union member states to attend. In addition, EU neighbouring
countries from Eastern and Southern Europe and the Mediterranean
are invited. As attendance is limited, only a small number of
participants from "outside Europe" can be accomodated;
however we are eager to make connections and foster dialogue on
our small planet.
In contrast to many "mass market conferences", the focus
of our Meeting is on dialogue, contact and interaction. Thus, debates
in the tradition of good old parliamentarism, are the core format.
Obviously, the scientific world language, nowadays English, my be
a hindrance for non-native speakers. Thus, we would like to remind
native speakers first to slow down in their own contributions and
second to look on content, not form in non-native speaker; we would
like to remind non-native speakers to be curagious.
We are confident that the multi-disciplinary format of the
Conference will be thought-provoking and exciting. Specifically,
this meeting will address issues of food and weight preoccupation
to raise awareness of fat- and weight-prejudice in a fat-phobic
society. The programme will include special sessions dedicated
to improve cooperation of all European Scientific Societies on ED
and of all European Self-Help Associations for ED. In addition,
a special section will be dedicated to all specialized ED training
courses all over Europe aimed at comparing existing models and
experiences and possibly adjust them at an European level in the
future.
We would be proud if this meeting could be a further step towards
improving conditions for the sufferers and carers of a sometimes
glamourized but frequently stigmatized condition.
We look forward to meeting you in Innsbruck, a city with amazing
scenery in the heart of the Alps and of Europe.
Günther Rathner |
Innsbruck, January 2005 |
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