Health information

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses; they are not a lifestyle choice. They can be characterised by a preoccupation with eating, exercise, and body weight or shape. Some thoughts and emotions about body image and self-worth can lead to major changes in eating and exercise behaviours. These behaviours may include excessive dieting, fasting, overexercising, using medications, vomiting or binge eating.

Eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia nervosa, and other binge eating disorders. Eating disorders affect females and males and can have serious psychological and physical consequences.

Other services

Click here for information about Barwon Health’s Eating Disorder Service.

Click here for community organisations that can provide support.

Resources

There are a number of resources available to assist:

• Better Health
• National Eating Disorders Collaboration
  A National Collaboration that creates evidence for the way people living with an eating disorder can be supported; for people with lived experience, clinical services, researchers and those requiring impartial policy advice.
• The Butterfly Foundation
  Support for Australians experiencing eating disorders
• Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED)|
  A Victorian Government commitment to the provision of quality services to those with eating disorders and their families. The Centre has developed a range of programs for health professionals and people living with eating disorders.