The Australian National Eating Disorders Workshop held in Canberra on the 24th October was a wonderful opportunity for delegates to participate in developing the National Evidence based Framework on Eating Disorders.
We were delighted with the number of people who attended and made such a valuable contribution on the day. And furthermore, all states and territories were represented, which is really significant.
The day was opened by Mrs Claire Vickery, Chair of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration and Founder and Chair of the Butterfly Foundation. She acknowledged the importance of the collaborative voice in treating, managing and preventing eating disorders into the future, "this is an opportunity to do something really powerful and we need to be a very strong collective voice that informs the community and government about these illnesses. It's when we come together that we're going to achieve change".
We thank Rachael Walker, who shared her lived experience and grounded us all in the reality of eating disorders, a timely reminder of the important need to focus on and invest in this important issue.
The Workshop Sessions provided an opportunity for participants to contribute to the proposed National Framework for Eating Disorders. The common themes of Working Together, Developing Knowledge, Continuum of Care and Building on Existing Foundations, formed the basis of discussions.
It's now full steam ahead, with the valuable feedback and contributions gleaned on the day taking us into the final stages of the Framework development.
Thank you to all who contributed. Your input will inform the way forward for eating disorders in Australia. Together, we can make eating disorders a national health priority.
Christine Morgan
National Director, The National Eating Disorders Collaboration
CEO, The Butterfly Foundation
