Many people with eating disorders, disordered eating and body image issues wonder if they are sick enough to need help. Thoughts and behaviours around eating and weight should not interfere with your life, recovery is possible and a peaceful relationship with your body and food is something everybody deserves to feel.
If you are experiencing negative or difficult feelings around food or your body then please consider seeking help.
The best place to start is with Australia’s largest eating disorder organization, Butterfly Foundation, which provides support for eating disorders and body image issues.
Butterfly Foundation National Eating Disorder Helpline 1800 33 4673
For anyone in Australia concerned about eating disorders or body image issues, whether you need support for yourself or someone you care about. All our counsellors are qualified mental health professionals with a background in psychology, social work or counselling. They also have specialist training in eating disorders and body image.
Support and resources for parents, schools and carers
Butterfly Body Bright Program (kindy to year 6)
Butterfly Body Bright is a strength-based, evidence-informed program developed by Butterfly Foundation. Designed to be integrated into Australian primary schools, it provides resources and support to teachers and their broader school community. The program aims to promote healthy attitudes and behaviours towards the body, eating and physical activity in children, so they can thrive at school and in life.
Follow the link to find tip sheets based on the six pillars of the Body Bright Program Brave, Resilient, Inclusive, Grateful, Happy, Thoughtful. We’d love for you to become a Body Bright advocate and share information about the program with your child’s primary school via their class teacher, the decision makers or your school’s parent association.
Invite a School to join the Butterfly Body Bright Program
Body Kind in Schools (age 11-18 years)
Body Kind Schools is Australia’s largest annual positive body image movement for young people (aged 11-18 years) providing free and engaging activities to help young Australians find ways to be kind to their own body and to others. Body Kind Schools is just one part of Butterfly’s Body Kind initiative to create environments which support body confidence for all
Body Kind Families is a FREE initiative designed to boost parents’/carers’ confidence in promoting positive body image and responding to body image concerns in their teenage children. It supports families to be kind to their own body and to others.
Feed Your Instinct – an interactive tool designed to support parents of children and young people experiencing different types of eating and/or body image problems
Other resources from the Preventing Eating Disorders in Young People workshop:
Division of Responsibility – Ellyn Satter, Dietitian, therapist and child feeding expert
Intuitive Eating – Dietitians Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch
Presenters contact: Nina James (RN) & Tara Sofair (APD) – [email protected]
