Tag: Anorexia

Eating disorder. Those words were not foreign. After a year researching this mental health issue, I could explain female athlete triad syndrome, binge eating disorder, atypical anorexia, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and anorexia nervosa. As a college junior in Family and Human Services, intending to later become an eating disorder dietitian, I...

I saw anorexia nervosa (AN) coming. It did not strike me suddenly. I had developed AN as a girl, and the thing I feared most about becoming a mother was that it could return in my life, harming one of my children. So, when my daughter Arianna (Ary) started to...

Is anxiety related to the later onset of anorexia? Is anxiety related to the maintenance of anorexia? A reader shares her experience ahead of a FEAST webinar that will explore this issue. I feel it in my bones. I feel it deep, deep inside me, like every cell is made...

A parent-based organisation is calling for more support for families affected by a loved one living with an eating disorder. In only four years, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) has fast become a vocal and respected advocate for raising awareness and gaining more support for families. Eating disorders are serious and...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on people struggling with body image issues and eating disorders. A new world-first chatbot, launched in collaboration with the Butterfly Foundation, is providing much needed support to these people and their loved ones. The chatbox is providing hope to the one in three young...

Dear Mr A. (Mr Anxiety), Firstly, I acknowledge you for what you are. You are mysterious, unpredictable, and unfathomable; you have every quality required to throw my life out of balance. I first felt your presence several years ago, during a deeply significant family event. I did not know what...

A COVID-19 has led to a surge in the number of people struggling with an eating disorder. Secondary care specialist eating disorder teams are stretched beyond their capacity and waiting lists continue to grow. GPs are growing increasingly anxious how best to manage these high-risk patients, and families are feeling...

Many fitness narratives on social media feature people purporting to be role models by seeking to inspire us to live a healthier life. They do this by presenting what they consider a desired physique, through sharing images and footage on their platforms. They focus on mirror selfies, muscle growth, defined...

Jennifer Hamer When poring through old photographs I stumbled across some pictures of my childhood. In one picture, I am walking along the beach with my nan. I’m holding a doughnut, and am enjoying the yumminess of the sweet dough as I take bite after bite. This image got me...

Eating disorders (ED) are one of the deadliest mental illnesses that continue to be severely underestimated and under resourced. Too often, people living with an eating disorder continue to be brushed aside. Since my discharge from The Geelong Clinic in 2019, I’ve struggled to find my way along an unfamiliar...