CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms COFFEY (Griffith) (16:52): Today marks World Eating Disorders Action Day, and this year's theme is 'Stop stigma. Start care. Together'.
More than 1.1 million Australians experience an eating disorder each year, and more than one in 10 will experience one in their lifetime—our neighbours, friends and loved ones. In Queensland the past decade has seen a near threefold increase in people accessing eating disorder related health services and a fivefold increase in outpatient contacts, reflecting growing community need.
Based in South Brisbane, in my community of Griffith, Eating Disorders Queensland provides therapy, peer support and connection for people in recovery and their carers and loved ones across the state. Recently I met with their CEO, Belinda, to hear about her team's extraordinary work and the importance of sustainable, community based support. Belinda's message was clear: early intervention is the best care.
Belinda shared with me the story of a 62-year-old woman supported through the Eating Disorders Queensland bITE early intervention program. This story shows how long people can live with distress before finding that care. This lady's challenges with food began when she was just 19 years old.
In the early 1980s, surrounded by harmful expectations about weight and appearance, she developed bulimia after experiencing judgement about her body, including being told to lose weight before beginning a course to become a waitress. For the first time, changing her body brought praise and a sense of acceptance. Even happy memories became tied to the message that she was more worthy when she looked a certain way.
Decades later, during a period of severe mental illness, she began experiencing binge eating. As her mental and physical health declined, she felt trapped, using food to punish herself. For years, she did not seek support.
It was only when a psychologist recognised that her eating behaviour may be connected to a deeper distress that she found Eating Disorders Queensland. Through bITE, she was connected with a care navigator, a practitioner and lived-experience workers. She came to understand that she is not alone, that eating disorders can affect anyone in any body and that recovery is possible.
She said that without the opportunity to be accepted into the program she probably would not be here. In her words, the support gave her the 'mental strength to keep going'. She said: It changed my desire to live in this world, and be understood and heard, helped me to understand that the correlation with food and mental health is real.
If I have not had the opportunity to come and being accepted into this the program, I probably would not be here. It gave me mental strength to keep moving forward and not giving up on myself. That is the power of compassionate community-based care.
Eating disorders do not have one face, one age, one gender or one body type, yet too many people are still held back by cost, stigma, shame or the belief that they are not sick enough to deserve help. I am proud that the Albanese Labor government's latest budget commits a further $4.4 million to extend support for people living with eating disorders and their families, and $600,000 for a national platform bringing together prevention and treatment resources and standards.