The Emily Program’s Post

"Eating disorder.  When you hear that term, what images, ideas, or thoughts come to mind?  Is it the ‘normative’ idea of an eating disorder - a young, white, upper-class, and extremely thin woman? Or is it something else?  Do you think of DSM diagnosis – maybe anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN),binge eating disorder (BED), or otherwise specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED)?   Or certain behaviours associated with an eating disorder?  Do you think they are choices, about vanity, something someone should just ‘get over’? Or is it more complex than that?" Read the powerful new article by Sarah Constantini here: https://lnkd.in/gfcm_6pi

This. This is one of the many reasons I practice from a weight-inclusive lens, decentering weight as an outcome and focusing on the human being, instead. In school, no one prepared me for the sheer volume of clients I would work with in my career that have disordered eating, or are living with an eating disorder that isn’t even being screened for in primary care settings. The healthcare system and our society conflates being thin with being healthy (and worthy— of care, of humanity) and then thinness is pursued at all costs, oftentimes at the *expense* of health — mental, spiritual, and physical. And with ED prevalence increasing by 300% in the last ten years (and no sight of that number decreasing with a continuous focus being placed on body size as a measure of health and worth— weird, coincides with the timeline for when ob*sity was recognized as a disease 🤔🤔🤔), weight-inclusive care is an opportunity to reduce harm. Public health nutrition messaging needs to change, too. Take responsibility in being a part of the solution by adopting a weight-inclusive approach to nutrition and health education. Also, enough fear-mongering processed foods. It’s no coincidence that incidences of ED are higher in lower-income households- food insecurity is not only a risk factor for developing an eating disorder (it’s also a risk factor for developing diabetes); the same people who are food-insecure are also relying on processed foods for nutrition. So, imagine not having enough to eat already, and hearing that the food you have access to is “toxic” or “junk” or “killing you”. We must do better. As a society, we need to stop equating health with thinness. If we really care about public health, we need to demand our systems to do better. Stop systemically and individually discriminating against people in large bodies. Decrease harm in public health messaging. Invest some of that weight loss money ($78 billion industry) into providing access to food, inclusive and equitable healthcare, housing, and so many more BASIC human needs that so many of us don’t have access to. I talk about this a lot in my monthly newsletter. Sign up here to get in the loop: https://lnkd.in/gVu7PwTg

Family-based treatment can effectively treat individuals suffering from anorexia and other eating disorders. Find out what it entails and why it’s effective. Read More: https://hubs.li/Q02p4W3Z0 #SelahHouse #EatingDisorderRecovery

If you work with 100 people... Approximately 16 will have an eating disorder. Of those 16: - Only 1 will be "underweight". - Around 50% of them will have Binge Eating Disorder. - Over 50% of them will be in lower-income households. - 6 of them will be men - 10 of them will be women - 40% will be Neurodivergent What does this mean? Eating disorders are far more prevalent than many people realise, and they do not present in the ways that most stereotypes perceive. And the number of sufferers is rising... fast. Over 300% in the past 10 years, and over 50% of children & young people now have "problem eating" which is a major precursor for eating disorders. We need greater awareness, greater prevention strategies, better support for Neurodivergent people, an end to viewing "health" as a body size, and end to poverty. Awareness is a first step, but we also need real action.

Introducing Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2024 #ARFID Next week is a very important week for us. As a specialist treatment service, we’re dedicated to raising awareness of eating disorders and the impact on individuals, families and communities - and this culminates in Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Despite our advancements, the sobering reality persists that diagnosis rates are on the rise and inpatient admissions (which should be a last resort) are skyrocketing. For this reason, ‘awareness’ is crucial - and action is critical. Eating Disorder Awareness Week serves to educate, inform, and advocate for those affected by eating disorders. It's a time to challenge misconceptions, reduce stigma, promote understanding, and encourage meaningful conversations to ensure early intervention. Early intervention is key to effectively treating eating disorders and preventing crisis and hospital admissions. By raising awareness, we can empower individuals to recognise warning signs – in themselves or others – and seek help sooner. To us, improving access and treatment outcomes requires a collective effort. And at Orri, collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to working alongside other treatment organisations, healthcare professionals, and advocates to streamline pathways to care and ensure that individuals receive the support they need, when they need it. This Eating Disorder Awareness Week we’ll be especially highlighting the diagnosis of ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) in line with Beat's annual theme. ARFID was only added to the DSM in 2013, meaning that awareness, research and specialist treatment is sorely compromised. On Tuesday 27th February at 6pm we’ll be hosting a thirty minute, online information session about ARFID. Please join us by visiting this link: https://lnkd.in/dDfg65sF Your panellists include: - Kerrie Jones, psychotherapist & CEO and founder of Orri - Paula Tait, Head of Dietetics at Orri - Katy Pey, Psychotherapist at Orri Make sure you're following us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Eventbrite to be kept up to speed with our activities during the week. #EatingDisorderAwarenessWeek #WeAreNotBeingFussy

Eating disorders are always treatable, people can and do get better A very disturbing report has been published from a review of medical studies that demonstrates that at least 60 people with eating disorders (EDs) have been euthanized or assisted in suicide between 2012 and 2024. A heartbreaking finding Eating disorders are treatable conditions that require timely, supportive and comprehensive treatment. Yet many are unable to access the treatment they require due to costs, inadequate insurance coverage, extensive wait times, and a shortage of specialist services in their area. The notion that they are incurable or terminal is scientifically unsupported and dangerously misleading. The term “terminal anorexia” is not recognized by any formal medical body, has been widely rejected by researchers and clinicians, and represents a misunderstanding of eating disorders. People with eating disorders can and do get better but they need to be able to access evidence-based, and inclusive treatment, not lethal medications. My eating disorder lasted 17 years, I too was labelled a hopeless case. But I got better, I managed to create a new life despite it once being so dark you could not see any light Every individual deserves recovery, but we need to ensure we are working to improve the barriers to recovery. https://lnkd.in/gUxd3-B5

Are you worried that your child may be experiencing Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder? You're not alone. Our parent/carer screening tool for ARFID is here to support you on your child's journey to recovery and healing -- whatever that may look like for them! Take the first step towards helping your child build a more positive relationship with food. 🌼✨ Dark pink background with lighter pink dots. Light pink scalloped box in the center. In the top left and bottom right corner, an orange and pink rainbow with a white cloud, and a pink daisy with a yellow center and bright pink border. In the top right and bottom left corner, a dark pink daisy with a light pink center. Dark pink title reads, "Screen for ARID (Parent/Carer)". Below dark pink text reads, "NEDIC’s screening tool can help you identify whether your child's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours relating to food, eating, and/or their body are consistent with symptoms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Note: It is not a diagnostic tool and not a substitute for a professional evaluation." Below is a pink rounded rectangle with light pink text that reads, "learn more at: weblink".

A really good way to start your research about a possible diagnosis and discussion with your family doctor.

Are you worried that your child may be experiencing Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder? You're not alone. Our parent/carer screening tool for ARFID is here to support you on your child's journey to recovery and healing -- whatever that may look like for them! Take the first step towards helping your child build a more positive relationship with food. 🌼✨ Dark pink background with lighter pink dots. Light pink scalloped box in the center. In the top left and bottom right corner, an orange and pink rainbow with a white cloud, and a pink daisy with a yellow center and bright pink border. In the top right and bottom left corner, a dark pink daisy with a light pink center. Dark pink title reads, "Screen for ARID (Parent/Carer)". Below dark pink text reads, "NEDIC’s screening tool can help you identify whether your child's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours relating to food, eating, and/or their body are consistent with symptoms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Note: It is not a diagnostic tool and not a substitute for a professional evaluation." Below is a pink rounded rectangle with light pink text that reads, "learn more at: weblink".

Eating disorders don’t look the same. They do not discriminate and affect all genders, socioeconomic ranges, ages, races and body types. This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and the goal is to share information and resources about eating disorders and to provide hope, support and visibility to those affected. We will be providing services for eating disorder recovery in July of this year. In the meantime, for resources see Eating Recovery Center. Statistic provided by ANAD. Image description for #Accessibility: A grey background with text that reads, “Less than 5% of people with a diagnosed eating disorder are underweight.” #NationalEatingDisorderAwarenessWeek