Desperate need for more eating disorder services and support in Greater Shepparton

“I currently have a four- to six-month wait for new clients, which is very unhelpful for eating disorders as it is recommended that treatment start as soon as a problem is identified,” she said.

“There is no hospital eating disorder unit locally, so people have to travel to Melbourne if they require an admission.

“This means they are separated from their family and friends who are generally their main support network.”

It's a concern echoed by Jess Wiltshire, a dietitian at Community Health at GV Health.

“While there are some local dietitians with experience in treating eating disorders, it's limited. We are generalists, we do our best,” she said.

“And there are simply not enough mental health professionals who are experts in this area, either.”

There isn't a data collection system in Victoria that offers geographical statistics on eating disorders, so local numbers remain unknown.

However, Eating Disorders Victoria reports about one in 20 people will have a diagnosable eating disorder.

It's estimated one million Australians currently have an eating disorder, and this number is only on the rise.

An eating disorder is a serious mental illness, characterised by eating, exercise and body weight or shape becoming an unhealthy preoccupation of someone’s life.

It is not a lifestyle choice or a cry for attention.

Contrary to stereotypes, it does not only target young, wealthy, white women.

It can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or income bracket, and it can take many forms.

“There is anorexia nervosa, when people restrict their food intake, leading to them being below a healthy weight because of a fear of gaining weight,” Dr Few said.

“Bulimia nervosa is when people are dissatisfied with their body and get stuck in a cycle of binge eating and then trying to compensate for their overeating via exercise, vomiting, laxative use or restricting their food intake.

“Then there is binge eating disorder, where people regularly eat large amounts of food and feel a lack of control over their eating, which can cause marked distress.”

Exercise addictions and orthorexia — a fixation on only eating "healthy" foods or avoiding entire food groups — can also commonly co-occur.

Dr Few said anything could spark an eating disorder, including weight loss due to a physical illness, people commenting on someone's weight or appearance (negatively or positively), trauma, discrimination or family dysfunction.

Warning signs can include people not eating, losing weight, eating in secret or making excuses for not eating out.

“A major misconception is that you have to be underweight to have an eating disorder. The majority of people will not be below a healthy weight,” Dr Few said.

Eating disorders generally worsen over time and become harder to treat, making early detection crucial.

Tragically, people with eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental health issue.

Serious consequences can include a compromised immune system, kidney failure, infertility, a weakened heart, osteoporosis and suicide.

Dr Few said recovery from an eating disorder was an individual journey, but the first step was acknowledging something was wrong, and seeking help.

In addition to offering emotional support, she said family and friends could encourage the person to engage in treatment.

“Once treatment begins, the eating disorder fights for its survival and this can mean refusal to eat, anger, aggression and other emotional outbursts,” Dr Few said.

“If possible, it's really helpful if loved ones can be involved in treatment and for them to also get support.”

While eating disorders are firstly a mental health condition, Ms Wiltshire said dietitians advised around healthy eating and debunking dieting myths.

“We need to stop labelling foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’," she said.

“It's as simple, and difficult, as eating a balanced diet from the five food groups.”

She encouraged parents to model healthy body image and attitudes towards food.

It's an approach Dr Few urged the wider community to adopt.

“We need to normalise regular eating — three meals, two to three snacks,” she said.

“Society needs to put greater emphasis on our bodies as functional rather than seeing them as ornaments.

“And we need to value people for who they are, rather than what they look like.”

● If you need support for an eating disorder, call The Butterfly Foundation support line on 1800 334 673 or contact Eating Disorders Victoria on 1300 550 236.

For other crisis and counselling services, call Lifeline Australia on 131 114, BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.