Eating disorders named a priority in NSW community consultation

Butterfly, Australia’s national charity for people affected by eating disorders and body image issues, welcomes the Mental Health Commission of NSW “What We Heard” report and urges the next state strategy to fund the practical solutions the community asked for.

Butterfly has welcomed the release of the Mental Health Commission of NSW’s What We Heard consultation report, which recognises people with eating disorders or body image issues as a distinct priority population in the development of the next NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The report draws on a year of community consultation across NSW. It acknowledges that eating disorders are serious mental illnesses with one of the highest mortality rates of any mental health condition, and that they remain under-recognised and under-treated.

Around 1.1 million people in Australia are estimated to be living with an eating disorder, yet fewer than one in three people seek help, and the proportion of young people affected has risen since 2012.

Butterfly CEO Jim Hungerford said the report gives government a strong evidence base and clear community mandate. “The people of NSW have been clear. Eating disorders are serious and treatable mental illnesses, and yet the system too often treats the body and the mind as separate problems,” he said.

“The building blocks and solutions already exist, from early support and prevention through to care people can access from home, and the next strategy should back them and take them to scale across NSW. Recovery is possible, and the right support, early, changes lives.”

What the consultation heard

The themes raised through the consultation reflect what Butterfly hears every day through its services and from people with lived experience.

• Treat the body and the mind together. People said care can be distressing, or can cause further harm, when psychological and physical needs are addressed separately.
• Find people earlier. Participants called for routine screening within mental health services, and when people present for physical health concerns, so that signs are not missed.
• Invest in the workforce. The consultation pointed to a shortage of credentialled clinicians and the need for training, professional supervision, and better attraction and retention of specialists.
• Reduce harm in online environments. The impact of social media and online content on body image was discussed at length, with particular risk for people experiencing, or at risk of, an eating disorder.
• Challenge the stereotypes. The consultation pushed back on the myth that eating disorders only affect young women, and highlighted poorer access for people in larger bodies, First Nations communities and people of colour.
• Make help available early and locally. Most people approach a GP first, and participants asked that all mental health services be able to respond to mild to moderate presentations, not only the most severe.

Varsha Yajman, a 23-year-old lived experience advocate from Western Sydney, who shared her lived experience to help inform the strategy, emphasised the importance of funding prevention and education around eating disorders.

“We need to see greater awareness of eating disorders through education in schools, and at the same time, we also need to see more training in mental health and cultural competency for GPs,” she said.

“The lack of cultural competency and understanding of eating disorders stifled my attempts for help for years. For most people with eating disorders and/or carers, GPs are the first port of call, and we need to make sure that individuals are not stopped at the earliest stage, as the more professionals you see, the more complicated it can become.”

Dr Jennifer Hamer, a 34-year-old lived experience advocate and researcher from Manly, also agreed that system-wide education and investment would improve wellbeing across NSW communities.

“We need more investment into preventative measures in education settings for children, youth/adolescent, parents/carers as well as for our primary health care settings,” she said.

“Start early – we need our children to know, believe and embody that they are enough, their body is the least interesting thing about them, and they bring so much more to the world than the way they look. This requires systems change, a cultural revolution.”

Butterfly’s call to the NSW Government

The community has pointed to practical solutions, and several already exist and work. Butterfly is urging the NSW Government to fund and scale three in particular.

• Make first-line support and aftercare easy to reach. People said GPs are usually the first contact, that many fall through the cracks at points of transition, and that aftercare must be embedded across the system. Butterfly already operates the National Helpline as a free and confidential first response. NSW should fund a dedicated support, navigation and aftercare function so people find the right help early and stay connected to it.
• Invest in prevention and media literacy. Young people asked for better media literacy and more balanced online engagement, and the impact of online content on body image was a major theme. Butterfly already delivers prevention and education in schools and communities. NSW should fund this at scale to reach young people before problems escalate.
• Expand virtual, stepped care for mild to moderate needs. Participants wanted every service able to respond to mild to moderate presentations, and access in rural and regional NSW was a recurring gap. Butterfly already provides virtual treatment that reaches beyond the major cities. NSW should fund stepped care that meets people earlier and closer to home.

These build on the broader reforms the consultation called for, including integrated physical and mental health care, a stronger specialist workforce, and equitable access for communities that are currently under-served.

-ENDS-

Media Contact:

Zoe Bradbury – Butterfly Communications Manager

Ph: 0400 585 855

E: zoe.bradbury@butterfly.org.au

About Butterfly Foundation
Butterfly is the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, and for the families, friends and communities who support them. Butterfly changes lives by providing innovative, evidence-based support services, treatment and resources, prevention and early intervention programs, and by advocating for the needs of our community.

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. Please include the following helpline message.

Help and Support 

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 visit butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight (AEST/AEDT).
• Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline on 1300 550 23
• For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14