Alex de Vos
A surge in disorder cases has prompted authorities to launch a program to tackle the potentially deadly condition in Geelong.
Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria executive director Kirsty Greenwood said wider awareness and increased media attention had sparked a rise in the demand for support services in the region.
“Eating disorders were once a hidden problem and were never widely accepted in the past,” Ms Greenwood said.
“People feared being labelled something, especially in regional communities like Geelong where everyone knows who you are.
“But more people are starting to come out in the open and we’re noticing an increase in Geelong.”
Ms Greenwood said the program was designed to help families and carers of people suffering eating disorders.
“There’s evidence-based research that both recovery rates and relapse rates decrease considerably with family support,” she said.
Eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia affect five to six per cent of the Australian population.
“People with eating disorders have a high mortality and suicide rate,” Ms Greenwood said.
“The conditions can also affect families and carers who are confronted on a daily basis with the physical appearance of a person with an eating disorder.
“If left unsupported, carers are susceptible to stress-related disorders including depression and anxiety.”
Program convener and Deakin lecturer Dr Ross King has been working with eating disorder sufferers for 20 years.
He said the program provided vital support for families and carers of people with eating disorders.
“Eating disorders are certainly a problem in Geelong and the workshops teach parents how to cope and manage the people they’re caring for,” Dr King said.
The program, Building Hope, starts within two weeks at Deakin University.