Body Image / Eating Disorders / Disordered Eating

Eating disorders are formally diagnosed, serious mental‑health conditions where a person’s relationship with food, weight, or exercise becomes a way to cope with emotional distress or a need for control. They often develop alongside painful feelings about body image, where someone sees their body in a distorted or overly critical way. These disorders aren’t choices—they’re complex illnesses shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors.

Disordered eating refers to a range of irregular eating behaviours that may include skipping meals, chronic dieting, obsessive calorie counting, or emotional eating. Unlike clinical eating disorders, disordered eating patterns do not always meet the criteria for a formal diagnosis but can still negatively impact physical health and emotional wellbeing. Disordered eating is often influenced by societal pressures, stress, or body image concerns and, if left unaddressed, may increase the risk of developing a more serious eating disorder.

With support and treatment, people can heal and build a healthier, more compassionate relationship with themselves.

Websites / Helplines

• The Butterfly Foundation  www.butterflyfoundation.org.au , Ph: 1800 334 673

• NEDA  https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

• Inside Out  https://insideoutsideinstitute.org.au

• Bodywhys  https://www.bodywhys.ie/  (This is an Irish website, but they have some great resources about body image, eating disorders; they also have a newsletter with current research findings and great information/strategies etc ) 

 You Tube / TED Talks 

• Eating Disorders from the Inside Out – Laura Hill  

• Why are Eating Disorders so Hard to Treat – Anees Bahji

Podcasts

• Strong Enough 

• Eating Disorders are Australia’s Deadliest Mental Illness