The most important thing you can do when assisting someone with an eating disorder is to prepare by educating yourself as much as possible about eating disorders. You will need to constantly remind yourself that behind this illness is the person you are trying to reach and care for. The...
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...
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...
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...
By Michelle Southern and Jennifer Hamer Two Australian-based women, Michelle and Jennifer, have created an online self-help eating disorder program to help address gaps in accessible and adequate treatment and care. Michelle and Jennifer bring first-hand understanding to the fore — their lives, studies and careers have been shaped through...
From a clinical and research perspective, Eating Disorders (EDs) are interesting, almost unique, in that despite not wanting to have an ED, many people continue to engage in behaviour that can be dangerous and even deadly. More concerning is that people with an ED can often have a poor prognosis,...
In October 2014, at age 31, I achieved the award that marked the pinnacle of my fitness competition career: the coveted Bikini Athlete Pro Card. Standing onstage in a Hertfordshire theatre, smiling for the winner’s photographs, I appeared the epitome of health and fitness. But, in reality, I was suffering...
I was bulimic for 46 years. My eating disorder (ED) first came to court me in 1966 when I was an out-of-state transfer student 1000 miles from my mom and dad for the very first time. My high school boyfriend had just broken up with me. I was unsure about...
June was interviewed on 22 September by Daryl Reader on bay 939 Geelong regarding the launch of the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI). Listen to the interview here.
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