Parliamentary Friends of Eating Disorders Awareness Group Relaunches During BIEDAW 2025

Last week in Canberra, the Parliamentary Friends of Eating Disorders Awareness Group was relaunched at Parliament House, marking an important moment in Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week (BIEDAW 2025).

The event brought together leaders across politics and the eating disorders sector, united in their commitment to stronger, more coordinated action. NEDC would like to give special thanks to Speaker Milton Dick MP, Co-Chairs Susan Templeman MP, Andrew Wallace MP, and Zali Steggall MP, and to Emma McBride MP for their leadership, support, and dedication to shaping future funding and policy directions. Speakers and attendees reflected on the stark reality: eating disorders affect 1.1 million Australians and carry the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition. Every community, in every electorate across the country, is touched by their impact.

Australia’s National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033 provides a world-leading framework to respond. Central to the Strategy is the Stepped System of Care (SSOC) - a blueprint to ensure people experiencing eating disorders can access the right care, at the right time, no matter where they live.

The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) is proud to work alongside the Eating Disorders Alliance – The Butterfly Foundation, ANZAED, Eating Disorders Victoria, Eating Disorders Queensland, EDFA, InsideOut Institute, ED Neurodiversity Australia, and The Embrace Collective – to support the Strategy’s implementation and strengthen Australia’s system of care.

Learn More and Build Your Knowledge

For those wanting to dive deeper, NEDC has developed resources to help professionals, policymakers, and community members understand and apply the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023–2033.

- Explore the Stepped System of Care through our interactive eLearning suite, designed to build practical skills and knowledge across the workforce.
- Access evidence-based resources and tools to strengthen your role in prevention, early identification, and treatment.

Collaboration was the key message of the day: only by working together across government, health services, and communities, can we create a future where every Australian impacted by an eating disorder is met with understanding, timely support, and effective treatment.