How can we make information that people receive about health, food, minds and bodies ‘Eating Disorder Safe’?
NEDC is currently developing a set of principles that will guide the ways that information about health, food, minds and body are provided to people across settings. This is a key eating disorder prevention and harm minimisation initiative, arising from the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-33.
What is this about?
Throughout the development of the National Strategy, NEDC consistently heard from people with lived experience, their families, carers and supports that there is a need to change the way that society broadly speaks about health, food, minds and bodies. Through our consultations and working groups, people told us about the importance of safe messaging being delivered across healthcare, education, community services, sport, workplaces and social media.
Consistent and safe messages in the ways that professionals speak about bodies, teach about nutrition, develop health and related policies and accommodate difference can help to minimise unintended risks and harms in relation to eating disorders, disordered eating and body image distress.
What’s happening now?
NEDC, in collaboration with La Trobe University, is conducting a literature review and a Delphi study, which is a type of research project aimed at developing consensus between a range of stakeholders. The study will result in a set of principles that the people involved in the study agree are needed for health, food, mind and body messages to be Eating Disorder Safe.
In addition, NEDC is working in collaboration with Southern Cross University and the Public Health Association of Australia to develop a First Nations-specific Addendum to the Eating Disorder Safe principles. This will ensure that key considerations for cultural safety and relevance are integrated in all Eating Disorder Safe projects.
What’s coming up?
The Eating Disorder Safe principles are due to be published in June 2024. This will include practice examples for how to implement the principles across a broad range of settings.
Once the Eating Disorder Safe principles are finalised, NEDC will begin rolling out specific projects aimed at putting the principles into practice within key contexts. We will keep this page updated as new resources become available.
With thanks
NEDC and our partners have been supported in this work by an Expert Advisory Group and a First Nations Governance Group. We thank all members for their contributions, which have greatly enriched our thinking and will lead to much greater impact.