What is Fueling Freedom?
Fueling Freedom is a free, community-based program for youth (age 13-17) who could use support exploring a peaceful relationship with food, their body, and themselves. We also support all parents, families, and caregivers—no matter the age of the children you care for.
We take a broad, holistic, non-medical approach to disordered eating prevention, making it appropriate for all youth. Participants do not need an official diagnosis, a medical referral, or an MB health card number to access our program.
Fueling Freedom is not eating disorder treatment and our programming does not replace individual support from a clinical eating disorder treatment team.
If you need support for an eating disorder, contact the Child and Youth Eating Disorder Program at Health Sciences Centre at 204-787-7218.
Do you work with youth and want more tools to help support youth to bite back against disordered eating? Fueling Freedom also has workshops, trainings, consultations, and support youth-facing service providers. Click here to see offerings just for you.
Offerings for Parents, Caregivers, and Families
We know that nobody can do this work alone. Youth who are nurturing these relationships need your support and doing this work can bring up things for you, too.
If you take part in the day-to-day care of young people of any age, we have workshops, groups, and webinars to support you.
Bite Back Basics
Educational Webinar Series
Are you a parent or caregiver figuring out how to support the youth in your life to create kind, peaceful relationships with food, their body, and themselves?
This free, 3-session webinar series will give you a taste of Fueling Freedom. You’ll get practical tools and guidance you can use right away.
Session 1: Normalizing Disordered Eating
Session 2: Eating for Wellbeing
Session 3: Coping Skills
You do not need to attend the entire series—attend as few or as many as you'd like!
Click here to see sessions currently running.
Nourishing Parents
Educational Peer Support Group
Navigating diet culture as a caregiver can be overwhelming, but Nourishing Parents is a welcoming, structured space for you. Join other parents and caregivers who are currently navigating relationships with food and body among the youth in their lives.
These free monthly gatherings are led by a health educator and a registered dietitian from the Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program. Each month offers an opportunity to explore various topics in a peer-led format including discussion, reflection, and connection.
Click here to see sessions currently running.
*Please note, these sessions are intended to be community spaces for parents, caregivers, and families who are involved with day-to-day care of youth. This is not a suitable space for clinicians, medical practitioners, teachers, or support workers. Please see ‘Service Provider Offerings’ for resources tailor-made for you.
Offerings for Youth
Bite Back Together
In-Person Support Group for Youth and a Supportive Adult
Bite Back Together is an educational support group for anyone aged 13-17. This multi-week program is for youth who could use support exploring your relationship to food and body—especially if you feel preoccupied by food, out of control around food, or if you habitually eat to soothe emotions.
Through learning, reflection, and personal exploration, you will gain tools to heal your relationship to food, your body, and yourself. Fueling Freedom is designed for you to attend with a supportive adult in your life. You’ll attend sessions with other youth in your own space while the adult you bring with you attends sessions with the other adults.
For the duration of the program, you and your family will have optional access to free dietitian services and family/individual counselling provided by the Provincial Eating Disorder Program. This support includes the option of one appointment with a registered dietitian and one appointment with a counsellor weekly, for up to three months.
Fueling Freedom Individual Counsellor and Dietitian Supports
One-on-one counselling sessions for anyone, age 13-17. Get support with your relationships to food and body with our Fueling Freedom counsellor or our Fueling Freedom dietitian. Available now! Click to join the waitlist.
What is the difference between eating disorders and disordered eating?
You’ll notice that we use the term ‘disordered eating’ when talking about our program.
Disordered eating is a term that describes a variety of behaviours we might engage in when our relationship with food and our body could use some support.
Disordered eating includes things that might seem ‘normal’ or even ‘healthy’ in a culture that tells us the size of our body is the most important thing. This could include things like:
- dieting
- skipping meals
- excluding certain foods or entire food groups
- feeling out of control when eating
- feeling guilt or shame about eating certain foods
- worries about body image or weight
- compulsive exercise
When behaviours like these are not severe or frequent enough to meet the criteria for an eating disorder, we use the term disordered eating. Disordered eating is incredibly common and can cause a high level of stress and affect our physical and mental health.
Those of us living with the experience of disordered eating deserve care and support.
Fueling Freedom is open to anyone who needs support—no diagnosis needed.
FF Sign up here
Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected with Fueling Freedom. You’ll find out about new workshops, webinars, and groups; get resources for you and the youth in your life; and find out about community events. Click here to sign up.
Have questions or want more information?
Contact the Fueling Freedom team:
Email: fuelingfreedom@womenshealthclinic.org.
Phone: (204)947-2422 ext. 137
Toll-free: 1-866-947-1517 ext. 137
