Canberra, ACT
ONE Voice. A United Call to Action. For just $20.72m per annum we can save billions and save lives.
Australian eating disorder organisations have come together to deliver a clear and coordinated call for action to address the growing eating disorder crisis.
Eating disorders remain one of the country’s most underfunded and misunderstood mental health issues. More than 1.1 million people in Australia are living with an eating disorder, costing the economy $67 billion annually. Australia has a world-leading National Strategy for eating disorders and is coming together to deliver a clear call for action for the government to address the growing eating disorder crisis.
The Eating Disorder Alliance (EDA) is a collective of national and state organisations working together to improve outcomes for people with eating disorders and their families. Today EDA members and affiliates will meet with policymakers at Parliament House to present a shared vision to implement reform.
EDA has prioritised ongoing funding requests for essential programs and services to address unmet needs in the system of care, providing a scalable, integrated solution aligned with the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033.
“These are not abstract ideas,” said Jade Gooding, an EDA spokesperson and CEO of the Australia New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED). “We are presenting real, ready-to-implement programs already delivering results and evidence-informed solutions. With the right investment, we can scale these up and support more people in Australia in need.”
“When it comes to eating disorder recovery, disconnected services add unnecessary stress to people already at breaking point,” said Amanda Long, EDQ’s Lived Experience Team Coordinator. “As lived experience workers, and people who have walked the recovery path ourselves, we know this to be fact. It’s not up for debate.”
“As someone who has cared for a loved one with an eating disorder, I know firsthand the strain it is not just on the person, but on the families and all those around them,” said Kelley Robertson, Eating Disorders Families Australia representative. “Eating disorder treatment requires a multifaceted team, and at the heart of the team are the carers and their loved ones. We need the right support and the right people in the right place at the right time.”
“We have to challenge a system that fails to provide patient-centred, individualised care, and it gives me hope that the eating disorder sector is coming together to offer a holistic solution to government for these devastating and life-threatening illnesses,” she added.
Critically, EDA is calling on the Government to commit to reducing the prevalence and impact of eating disorders by providing the necessary leadership to:
- Invest in the One Voice Asks;
- Support the leadership, coordination and implementation of the National Eating Disorders Strategy by NEDC, including implementing the 20 allocated National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033 Priority Actions; and
- Deliver on the recommendations for Evaluation of the Eating Disorder MBS Items (2024).
The Eating Disorder Alliance is offering a solution to Government; a $20.72m annual investment which equates to less than 0.02% of Australia’s projected $122.8 billion health budget. It’s a small investment with a powerful return, guided by the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033.
1. Prevention
Call to Action: Act Early – Save Lives. Fund Eating Disorder Awareness and Prevention Now.
- Implement a national public health campaign to galvanise public awareness of eating disorder signs and symptoms, and increase understanding of the need to respond as early as possible.
- Support universal education prevention programs, including:
- Butterfly Body Bright
- BodyKind Online Education
- Body Blocks by The Embrace Collective for Kid
2. Identification
Call to Action: Support Those Who See It First. Fund Community-Led ED Identification.
- Funding for Butterfly Foundation’s:
- BodyKind Clubs
- BodyKind Schools
- BodyKind Families
- Continued funding for InsideOut Institute’s GP Hub
3. Initial Response
Call to Action: Care Navigation. No More Silos. No More Confusion. No More Delays.
- Continued funding for InsideOut Institute’s eClinic
- Continued funding for InsideOut Institute’s headspace/Medicare Mental Health Centres
- Continued funding for Right Care, Right Place, led by NEDC
4. Treatment
Call to Action: Back What Works. Fund an Integrated Service Delivery System.
- Funding to expand EDQ’s bITE (Brief Intervention/Therapy for Eating Disorders) across Australia
- Continued funding for Butterfly’s Next Steps Program
5. Psychological & Recovery Support
Call to Action: Lived Experience, Recovery Needs, Understanding and Connection
- Continued funding for Fill The Gap – Carer Counselling, EDFA
- Continued funding for National Carer Support Program – online, peer-led support groups, EDFA
- Peer Support Programs for consumers with longstanding eating disorders, EDV
6. Workforce
Call to Action: Build a National ED Workforce. Skilled, credentialled, ready to respond.
- Expanding and embedding the ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential to build a skilled, credentialled workforce across all levels of care
- Developing tailored resources, including Neurodivergent Resource Development and training for Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA)
Belinda Caldwell, CEO of EDV, said that: “Eating disorders don’t stop at borders, and neither should the programs and services that people so desperately need.”
“Butterfly’s recent study found that nearly two-thirds of people in Australia (60%) support additional funding being allocated by the Federal Government to prevent and treat eating disorders, with 77% saying the Government is not doing enough for eating disorders,” said Jim Hungerford, CEO, Butterfly Foundation. “Together, we have the solution for a robust system of care to best support people with an eating disorder and those who care for them. We need action now.”
The EDA comprises Butterfly Foundation, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED), Eating Disorders Queensland (EDQ), and Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV), with affiliate members Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA), the InsideOut Institute, The Embrace Collective and the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC).
-ENDS-
Media contact
Eating Disorders Alliance, 0402 259 652
Editor and producers note
Please include the following support line details in all media coverage of this story and refer to the Mindframe Media guidelines for safe reporting on eating disorders. Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact:
- Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) or [email protected]
- Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline on 1300 550 23
- For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14
Available for interview
- Jade Gooding, CEO, Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED), [email protected]
- Belinda Chelius, CEO, Eating Disorders Queensland (EDQ), [email protected]
- Jane Rowan, Executive Director, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), [email protected]
- Belinda Caldwell, CEO, Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV), [email protected]
- Jim Hungerford, CEO, Butterfly Foundation, [email protected]
- Kelley Robertson, Lived Experience as a carer of someone with an eating disorder and an EDFA member, [email protected], 0408 780 292
Kelley Robertson is a Brisbane-based teacher who is the primary carer for her daughter Olivia, aged 21, who was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa at the age of 15. Olivia has had extended hospitalisations in both paediatric and adult mental health settings, requiring Kelley to step away from her teaching role to focus full-time on caregiving. Kelley is a passionate and persistent advocate who is driven by a determination to create better outcomes for families like her own.