freEDom

It has been a while since I have posted as I have been unwell and unable to attend the past two group meetings. However, I am better and attended the latest meeting which held some exciting news.
In between catching up on what's happened and my explaining the work I have been doing whilst unable to attend 2 meetings I learnt that we are set to become an official organization (the 1/2 trees worth of documents to be signed and filled in was quite a sight to behold.) How very exciting!

So watch this space.

Kate <3

Support Group

The time has come for us to really focus on how we're going to set up the support groups. It's a lot of work - but it's something that we are so determined to achieve that I'm quite sure we will succeed.

Please email us - dispellingthemythsforum@gmail.com if you're interested attending either the family/friends support group or the sufferers support group. All enquiries will be completely anonymous, of course and we'd really love to have some people to come along!

We will update you more when we know more!

Later on, as a branch off the support group, we're hoping to start a mentor program - between people who are really recovered and people who are only just embarking on the journey of recovery. The mentors can help the mentee with facing feared foods/situations and provide support - however the mentor would never be seen as a counsellor. Again, that's just in the works, so keep thy eyes tuned!!!!

<3
Be well!
Noelle

Long time no update!

Hi Guys!
So sorry we haven't updated in over a month - naughty us. *slaps hand*

I think we've all been busy with our personal lives, and keeping up with the awareness work and our own recovery.

However, we have some exciting news. The meeting with Katy Gallagher went fantastically well. She's pledged 5 out of 20 beds of a new inpatient mental health facility for Young People to eating disorder sufferers. She's agreed that Phillip Health Centre will recieve an upgrade (of $5 million which will be spread across all community health centres) which will be enough to host an adequate eating disorders program (y'all know...like a kitchen to teach dietitics in, etc.) However - the mental health facility leaves out those with eating disorders under the age of 13 (yes, we all know from recent media reports that 6 and 8 year olds are struggling with anorexia nervosa) and over the age of 25. So where does it leave those people? It's a start, it's a good start, but it's not enough.

We were also on stateline again :) Which is awesomely exciting. Here's the link if you're interested:
http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/act/content/2006/s2275426.htm

We've also been approached by 60 Minutes, and should be hearing back from them soon - so we might be on their show soon, which is pretty darn cool.

And we're also designing a documentary "what it's really like to live with an eating disorder" although the title will be way snappier and cooler. We're so sick of these people making documentaries which make treatment look like a summer camp and having an eating disorder, all fun. So we're going to make it real - and we're going to show just how crap it really is.

Hope everyone's well! Promise that we'll update much more frequently!
<3
Noelle

Meeting with Minister Gallagher

Coming up on the 10th of June, we have a meeting with Minister Katy Gallagher, the health minister for the ACT.

Do you guys have any particular questions you want to ask her? We're starting to put together some notes :)

<3
Noelle

What do you want to see on the blog?!

We were having a discussion about what we want to put up on the blog. Some suggestions were our journeys, how we met, how we went through recovery (and are, for some of us), what recovery means, how to help someone who has an eating disorder, any poems or stories that we find and like, and any really helpful websites.

Please leave us a message or email us at dispellingthemythsforum@gmail.com with what you want us to put on the blog!

and for our first creative entry, I'm going to put up a poem I wrote, with the help of a friend called Rach, when I was first in treatment. For those of you who don't know - the name of my eating disorder is "Medusa"

Medusa’s Lies

Medusa is her name
Destruction is her game
Thriving on secrets,
Suffering and pain

Come here little one
Let me tell you a lie
The rules have won
You’ve lost, my oh my

Your reflection is broken
Her eyes you will see
Medusa is awoken
You no longer will be

Quiet and submissive
You have learned well
Of fears she’s dismissive
Do, or there will be hell

From wild to tame
Gently she soothes
She’ll destroy and maime
With very few moves

Her actions so gentle
And swift into your life
Showing all you’re ‘mental’
And in very deep strife

Come here little one
Let me wipe away your tears
I will destroy all fun
I will fill you with my fears

You become a marionette
With strings attached
A life in pieces you’ll get
Slowly becoming detached

I’ve taken your body, not only your head
Not only about food, but many fears
Eating with others fills you with dread
It’s been the same for many years

As you learn what is real
What you hold close to your heart
Recovery is a deal
Upon which you now embark

Have I Mentioned...

HOW MUCH WOMEN'S FORUM AUSTRALIA ROCKS!?
No?
Well I shall now set about doing so...

After attending the forum hosted by Jacqui at the ACT Legislative Assembly, at which the amazing Melinda Tankard Reist spoke, I felt so empowered and releived. I felt empowered by the encouragement that I am much more than just the sum of my body parts and releived that there are people out there taking action and saying NO to the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls. I felt relieved also by the fact that they did not just focus on the damage this does to women but also the way in which this impacts upon the men in our society.
I know all too well of the hurt caused by guys treating me like an object and then their shock and confusion when I tell them that there is more to life and not to dumb themselves down.

After reading Women's Forum Australia's (www.womensforumaustralia.org) Articles on Objectification of Women and Sexualisation of Girls I was horrofied at some of the statistics. I was especially horrofied to see, printed in black and white infront my very own eyes, the statistics for eating disorders. I have talked about these statistics and have been a part of them and yet it still shocks me and makes me sick to the core when I see them infront of me.

I would encourage everyone to stand up for what you believe in and call for change in our increasingly dark society. As a group frighting for freedom and change we are part of a much larger battle that Women's Forum Australia and many other organisations & groups are fighting. It's not always easy to stand up for what is right but I feel no one should have to go through harassement, eating disorders, depression, anxiety or any other experience and become part of the alarming statistics we see today. I feel that no one should have to live in a world which cries democracy and free speech but whispers conformity. Infact, it doesn't even whisper it, it screams it! Look around you at the Lee jeans adds, look at the dolls 6 yr olds play with, look at the cosmetic proceedures aimed at young girls! It's everywhere and we have learnt to live with it. We shouldn't have to! We shouldn't have to be made to feel inadequate by a pixelated image of a tarty fashion model exposing all by 3 sq cm of her body! Taking a stance against sexualisation is not a prude gesture of an ultra conservative nature, it's a stance on our right to be ourselves, our right to be individuals and not sexualised women and girls. It's a stance in which we say no to the exploitation of society as a whole (men and women.)

Stand up for what you believe in and fight for the future.

Forum with Melinda

Last night we had the forum with Melinda Tankard from Womens Forum Australia (http://www.womensforumaustralia.org.au/). It was really interesting - somewhat shameful that some of the behaviors she was talking about, some of us had engaged in, in our "sick days". Some of the advertising made me sick to my stomach.

That's Hannah, Kate and I just before the forum started (please excuse the poor quality, camera-phones-r-us).
Jacqui, Hannah and Kate - and I *was* there, but somehow managed to cut myself out perfectly.

We also have a new member, Lon - who will be attending meetings with us, as well as Leni who will be offering her wisdom and advice.

It was a fantastic night, and I think I speak for all of us when we say that we learned a lot :-)

<3
Noelle

Another forum hosted by Jacqui Burke MLA

Just so everyone knows - we will be holding another forum hosted by Jacqui Burke MLA. Our keynote speaker is Melinda-Tankard Reist of Women's Forum Australia. who will be talking about how the media impacts self-esteem and body image.

Here are the details:
13th May, 2008
6-7:30pm
Legislative Assembly
Civic, ACT

Would love to see everyone there! The more support we can get, the better! :)

<3
Noelle

Meeting on Thursday!

Just so everyone knows - we're having a meeting on Thursday and we will update where too from here once that's over.

:)

Stateline Transcript!

Ok, so after much begging, I FINALLY got to see the Stateline that Hannah recorded for me (Thanks Hannah) but I can't keep it :'( Pitty cos I really wanted to look at myself forever. /Sarcasm.

I thought I would post the transcript. Oneday we will work out how to put the entry up on youtube for the viewing pleasure of the masses.

We will also scan in a copy of City News (once my scanner is rescued from the grave) and when the others update they can give you more details of the interview and what it's like to be under cameras and lights! lol.

I will stop babbling (and you can call me Brooke if you like...and please don't be offended if your name is Brooke. It is a very pretty name!)

Here is the transcript:

1300 550 236 Eating Disorders Foundation VictoriaCATHERINE GARRETT, PRESENTER: Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are every parent's nightmare. They're psychiatric illnesses that affect mostly teenage girls. Eating disorders have one of the highest death rates of any psychiatric condition. Often blamed on the media's obsession with skinny models and celebrities, the causes are more complex than that. So, too, are the cures.A very brave trio of young women agreed to speak to Stateline about their experiences with an eating disorder and their concerns about the lack of treatment available in Canberra.KATE SCOTT: It happened quite suddenly and quite quickly with me. It happened in a really sort of steep curve. I just spiralled down very quickly.HANNAH MCALISTER: I stopped going to school. I couldn't get out of bed, I was too cold, I was too tired. I didn't have the energy. I didn't think there was any way out. I thought I was stuck. I thought I am going to have to die to get out of thisNOELLE GRAHAM: It's a devastating illness for the person and it's a devastating illness for the family.DR VIVIENNE LEWIS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, UC: Nobody would ever wish an eating disorder upon themselves or even upon their worst enemy. It's a horrible disorder to have, a horrible mental illness to have.Primarily it does tend to be society's obsession with thinness and appearance and looking a particular way and that's certainly is the initial manifestation of it. However what tends to actually make somebody develop an eating disorder are numerous other factors, such as genetic, so where mum or dad or somebody else might have suffered from an eating disorder, where there's been a huge stress that's occurred. Certainly teasing and bullying about appearance, peer pressure or a general feeling of low self-esteem or self-worth.NOELLE GRAHAM: Look, I think the reasons are different for everybody. I was bullied a lot in school and I'm pretty sure that that didn't help. I was teased about my name, mainly: Noelle, Christmas carol, that kind of thing. Clothes, my hair was long and I had glasses and then I ended up getting braces.KATE SCOTT: I think things like my brother suffering from leukaemia when he was quite young, that was very stressful, having very high achieving parents, going to an all girls school. Being in year 11 and being very high achieving. I think all of those qualities probably all added up. But having said that I don't think every single person who goes to an all girls school will end up with an eating disorder. So I think it's a very individual thing. and I'm not sure that I myself can even pinpoint it.HANNAH MCALISTER: I actually developed depression before I developed an eating disorder and I found that really hard to deal with. I wasn't getting appropriate treatment for my depression and I didn't decide to get an eating disorder but eating less was sort of... it was something that made me feel better.KATE SCOTT: I was put into hospital at about the age of 16. I was halfway through year 11 and I was hospitalised with all over the place electrolyte levels, heart rate was abnormal, so I was put in for medical reasons. I was put into a private psychiatric hospital in Canberra which did not specialise in eating disorders and I was there for two months, including my 17th birthday.HANNAH MCALISTER: My first GP, I don't think she knew how to deal with eating disorders. I don't think she intentionally meant to be hurtful. But I don't think there was enough education around. I don't think she understood. She would say things like, you know, I have sick babies in the waiting room who need my attention, I don't want to waste my time on you. She took me behind a curtain, got my mum out of the room so no one could hear and basically, you know, told me I was a liar, told me that I was doing this to hurt my family, and that's really upsetting because that's a professional, that's someone who's supposed to know how to deal with these things.I've been hospitalised 17 times. I've been hospitalised in Canberra first. In a medical ward where they do tube feeding and bed rest. They don't really do any therapy. It's a weight gain program. I've been hospitalised in Sydney at a specialist eating disorders unit which has been the most helpful place I've been to. The problem with that is it's a private hospital, it's very expensive and it's in Sydney.NOELLE GRAHAM: For me, I went and saw a doctor, and from there I was referred on to the Eating Disorders Program, which... they offered me five one-hour sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy which wasn't enough. I ended up going to Melbourne for treatment because my mum could see that I wasn't getting any better and likely that I wouldn't get any better while I was in Canberra. So she found this particular program in Melbourne and, yeah, I went along to a workshop that they ran for two days and it was the worst two days of my life because it was kind of exposing everything that was going through my head to a whole room of people and I didn't think that other people felt like this. I thought, you know, maybe I was just going crazy.CATHERINE GARRETT: Is it good enough that these girls are having to travel interstate to get help?VIVIENNE LEWIS: I don't think so. I think you should be able to receive treatment where you're living, especially because eating disorders require the family being involved in treatment as well. What we need is we need better funding so that we can have more of the services that we've currently got.KATE SCOTT: I actually found the programs and the psychiatrists that I was seeing more of a negative effect than a positive effect because I was treated like a naughty little child. So my treatment experience in terms of medical professionals was quite a negative one and it left me, after sort of being through this journey, it left me feeling quite upset with the way Canberra and really anywhere deals with eating disorders and that's part of the reason why I'm here today is because we want to fight that and we want to actually say that there has to be better care.HANNAH MCALISTER: The hospital experience in Canberra is horrible. I've been hospitalised in a psychiatric ward. It isn't a good environment if you're 16.NOELLE GRAHAM: It's not tailored to individual needs and I think that's something that really needs to change because every eating disorder is different. Every eating disorder sufferer is different and you can't just put everyone in a box and go, OK, they're done now, they've got an eating disorder. You can't just fix the illness like that.VIVIENNE LEWIS: Getting the treatment early, so having a parent or teacher recognise that there are problems really early on so we know that those that seek early treatment have much more effective outcomes. So people with an eating disorder tend to do best when they see a psychologist, dietitian, GP, maybe a psychiatrist as well because eating disorders are quite severe mental illnesses and where the school is supportive of the adolescents as well and friends and family.It's a very difficult disorder to treat. It tends to be very ingrained and people have often held beliefs about their bodies or poor self-esteem for a very long time, so you're talking about trying to reverse years of self-loathing.CATHERINE GARRETT: What is the head space you're in when you're anorexic?HANNAH MCALISTER: At the beginning, it's a purposeful sort of, you know, dieting losing weight type thing. But then it turns into something else and I did not honestly feel as though I had any control over what I could do. I remember thinking, when I was at my worst, there is no way I can get out of this, I am stuck. I could not imagine beginning to eat again and the weight gain that would go with that.NOELLE GRAHAM: I couldn't see it for a very long time but then I could. But I couldn't stop because I was too far into it that I don't even know what I was doing it for but I had to keep going. I had to keep trying to lose weight. I had to keep going, keep going. That kind of thing.CATHERINE GARRETT: Is that sort of punishment? Self-punishment or control?NOELLE GRAHAM: Definitely, it's punishment, and guilt and control and self- hatred. I find it so hard to explain just how much you hate yourself when you're in that headspace. You would do anything to disappear because, you know, you're a burden on your family, you don't deserve to be alive, you don't deserve anything. It's not a disease of vanity and it's not a choice. And so many people have said, you know, you're doing this to be a brat, you're just doing this because you want attention from your mum.And that's... I mean, I love my mum dearly but that's not true. That's not why I was doing it. I was doing it because I hated myself. I figured that was the easiest way to punish myself.HANNAH MCALISTER: It just seems like it's been forever! It seems like it's been such a long time and I can't believe that I've spent so much time doing this, in and out of hospital so many times, not being able to study, not being able to hold down a job, not being able to live a normal life, not being able to have normal relationships. It's just... and just to think that it started with, oh, maybe it would be cool if I lost some weight and it turned into something I haven't manage to get out of yet.For my story I would like people to know that although it takes a long time, you will get there in the end. Like, I've been doing this for a long time and it seems like it's taken forever, but when I look back at what I've done, I can see that I have come a long way and it's really important to recognise that it's hard, it's horrible, it's just an awful place to be in. But, you know, I've seen people get better and I believe that I can get better and that's the main thing.KATE SCOTT: It wasn't until I got out that I realised that there are a lot of hard yards to go because getting to a healthy weight's one thing but getting to a healthy head space is another. And the healthy head space is so hard.We do want to make a difference, we do want to set up support groups and that people understand that this is an illness that affects not only the sufferer but the families and that everyone needs as much support as they can get.BACK ANNOUNCEMENT: CATHERINE GARRETT: AND THOSE IMPRESSIVE YOUNG WOMEN - ARE PETITIONING - HEALTH MINISTER - KATY GALLAGHER - FOR FUNDS TO IMPROVE TREATMENT OPTIONS - WE'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY GO. WE'LL ALSO - HAVE SOME USEFUL LINKS - ON OUR WEBSITE ON MONDAY - IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOURSELF - OR SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY - YOU CAN CALL EATING DISORDERS VICTORIA ON 1300 550 236.THE PHONE IS ANSWERED DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS - BUT IN THE MEANTIME YOU CAN LEAVE A MESSAGE. THEY WILL CALL YOU BACK - AND THEY WILL BE DISCREET.

<3
Noelle

City News and Stateline!

Well - sorry for so long no update guys! I think we've all been super busy with our "other" lives.

This week we're in the City News (when I have more time/energy I will scan the article in!) and we're on Stateline tomorrow night, 7:30pm for ACT Viewers. Not sure if this can be streamed from the website or not.

Filming was pretty cool (although extremely embarrasing for me as I am very camera shy!)

Will update after I've seen our TV efforts! *runs and hides*

Noelle xoxo.

Wow what a busy day!
We had the launch for our Youth Week project today which went well. We set up all our beautifully painted scales outside the legislative assembly. Noelle did a wonderful job at MC and Katy and I spoke, along with Vivienne Lewis and Jacqui Burke (shadow health minister). Afterwards we ran around Civic like crazy people getting people to sign our petition.
We gave out the address of our blog to lots of people so hopefully they're reading this! We really want as many people as possible to be involved in and to know about what we are trying to do. Quite a few people mentioned seeing us in the paper so yay! We got some really good responses from people and most people were interested in what we are doing but on the other hand we had some people who just ignored us. Now I have more appreciation for those annoying people who try to get you to give to charities and stuff who I always ignore.
Anyway! To the photos!





Here we have Noelle, myself (Hannah) and Katy with our scale footpath outside the Legislative Assembly.

Sunday Canberra Times Feature - woo!!!

Ok, well today we were FEATURED in the Sunday Canberra Times. This is very exciting. We were under the impression that "feature" meant medium sized picture and half a page of text. We did not realize that "feature" meant 2.5 pages!!! So we are very excited :)

As my scanner has passed away recently, I will be typing and taking pictures of the articles, so don't mind the poor-ish quality. Perhaps Kat or Hannah will be kind enough to scan them in.

On the front page of the paper it says:

Too young to diet
By Emily Sherlock (she's really nice, btw)

CHILDREN as young as siz are so frightened of becoming overweight they are adopiting dangerous dieting behavior, a University of Canberra psychologist has warned.
Clinical psychologist, lecturer and researcher Vivienne Lewis said nine and 10-year-old boys and girls in the ACT were also expressing the desire to be thinner and feared becoming fat as adults.
Much of the recent media and social attention on obesity could be fuelling their fears.
"Children don't live in a vacuum but they hear stuff [about obesity]," she said. "They hear mum and dad talking or older siblings talking about it and about dieting and losing weight and they see it on television.
"I think it is alarming that children who have no even hit puberty are already idolising thin body types."
The finding comes as reports of eating disorders in children appear to be escalating, with some children as young as nine seeking professional treatment.

On pages 10-11 the feature contines. The first story is:

Australians Plagued by a Body Image Crisis
Eating Disorder sufferers launch a full-scale campaign to raise awareness of problem

By Emily Sherlock

IF YOU have or have had an eating disorder you can read the same pain, frustration and emptiness in the eyes of others living with it, suffers say.
Noelle Graham, 18, of Yarralumla said, "It is like they have vacated.
"People have always told me they knoew I was in trouble from the minute my eyes clouded over. They were like 'Noelle is not there anymore.'
"And it is true, at my treatment centre if you look at some of the really, really sick clients their eyes are clouded and they are not looking at you clearly, they are not in their head - it is probably becuase at the moment their head is too difficult a place to be."
Two other young women nodded in agreement.
All three have lived with eating disorders for most of their adolescent live sand have banded together to speak out about the illness which claims the lives of hundreds of young women - and men - each year.
They are also frustrated by what they see as the lack of support and treatment services avaliable in the ACT, poor education in the wider community and stigma still attached to the disease.
Hannah McAlilster, 20, of Queanbeyan has battled anorexia for five years, and said judgement from peers and the community was one of the biuggest challenges.
"A lot of people when the found out I had an eating disorder would say things like 'she doesn't really have an eating disorder - she is just doing it for attention' or 'she doens't look like she has an eating disorder' and it wasn't until I lost a significant amount of weight that people actually believed me," she said.
"I just really want people to understand what it is like and understand that it is not something that you choose, you don't decide to get an eating disorder becuase you want the attention, you can't choose it."
Kathryn Scott, 18, of Queanbeyan agrees.
"There is a lot of misunderstanding...Some people think it is a whole bunch of middle-class rich girls in high school who want to be thin and look like tabloid magazines and that is not true," she said.
"It affects a lot of people. It affects girls, it affects young boys, it affects people after they are teenagers, and a lot of people do die from it, but a lot of people seem to flip it off and think they will get over it.
"I know I copped a lot of flak at school."
Ms McAlister said she has spent most of her teenage years in treatment - including being hospitalized 17 times - the most recent just two weeks ago.
She was critical of servies and treatment avaliable in the ACT and said she knew of many local people who sought treatment in Sydney or Melbourne.
"If you don't have private health insurance in Canberra there is basically nothing, we don't have any appropriate in-patient places for treatment," she said.
"I just spent a month in a hospital where they didn't have any mental health nurses or anything for that.
"For a city that has so many people with eating disorders and so many people at Canberra Hospital with eating disorders all the time, we really don't have the treatment for it.
"We really need more."
The other girls agreed, sharing stories they had heard of sufferers not being able to be admitted to Canberra Hospital due to a shortage of beds for eating disorder patients, people being admitted under different classifications such as having "gastric" or "heart" problems and therefore not recieving appropriate care, recieving what they said was insufficient therapy and support, and a lack of support avaliable for family and friends.
Ms Graham said classifications for treatment in the ACT - based on weight - needed a shake-up.
"They are not taking people on what headspace they are in, they are taking them on their weight requirements and that is not how eating disorders operate," she said.
"Most people I know have been at their sickest when they have been at their heigher weight becuase you are so desperate to get that number down you would do anything."
Ms Graham has lived with bulimia for six years, since she was 12.
She hesitated when asked why she thought she developed the illness before admitting to being bullied at school.
"I wanted to dissapear, I didn't want anyone to pay any attention to me." she said.
Through speaking out she hoped she could raise awareness of the illness in Canberra and encourage sufferers to seek help.
"It wans't until one of my friends, who had previously suffered said 'Noelle you need help, this is not right', that I actually took any notice," she said.
"So maybe by listening to our stories someone might be able to go, 'Maybe I should see a doctor, maybe it doesn't have to be this way.' And if someone doesn't hear you asking for help ask louder, and keep asking until someone listens."

Children 'as young as six want to be thin' - The Expert
By Emily Sherlock
CHILDREN as young as six are developing dangerous dieting behaviors, putting their mental and psychological health at risk, a Canberra academic says.
University of Canberra clinical psychologist Vivienne Lewis said seven-year-olds were presenting with eating disorder-like behaviors while childrne even younger were concerned about their weight and shape.
"The research I've been doing certainly shows that children as young as six are wanting to be thin, are thinking about ways to lose weight and some have even already used dieting practices.
"While you may not necessarily see eating disorders in those younger ages you certainly see the start of such behavior.
"Typically people who present for treatment tend to be adolescents, those around 12 or 13. But having said that, we do get cases of children as young as seven presenting with an eating disorder."
De Lewis said more young children seemed to be seeking treatment for eating disorders in Australia, but if was difficult to determine if this was becuase more were seeking help or becuase eating disorders at younger ages were being better recognised.
She thought peer influence was one reason for dangerous eating behaviors in children, but didn't rule out the incerasing public focus on obesity.
"I think it is partly because when children go to school htey become more aware of their bodies and how they are differnt to other children...because they can see the differences the teasing starts. They are also learning about weight and obesity so very young." she said.
"Children don't live in a vacuum but they hear that stuff [about obesity]. They hear mum and dad talking or older siblings talking about it and about dieting and weight loosing behaviors and they see it on television.
"I think it is alarming that children who have not even hit puberty are already idolising thin body types."
Research she conducted last year in the ACT showed that students aged 9 and 10 were unhappy with their body shape.
"Girls were wanting to look thinner and boys wanted to still have muscles but better figures as well. As adults they also wanted to have a thin build."
ACT Health figures show there were 108 referrals to the ACT Eating Disorders Program in 2006-07, 75 assesments or treatments and 112 phone consultations.
In the same period, 21 patients aged 12-24 were discharged from the Canberra Hospital with eating disorders.
A NSW Health spokeswoman said an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the state's 550 eating disorder patients each year were younger than 16.

AMA calls on Govt to ban underweight models - The Fashion Industry
By Cayla Dengate

AUSTRALIA is one of few countries that doesn't impose weight restrictions on models. Worldwide, governments, fashion designers and events are banning underweight models in a bid to curb copycat eating disorders, yet Australia's catwalks still allow women as small as size 6 and 4 to walk the walk.
Australian Medical Association public health committee chair John Gullotta said, "International, Italy, England, Brazil and Spain have introduced initiatives that are trying to address growing concerns around the promotion of unrealistic ideals. Australia shouldn't be left behind in this."
The bans were sparked by the death of anorexic Brazillian model Ana Carolina Resont followed by model sisters Eliana and Luisel Ramos, who were also anorexic.
Models working for the British Fashion Council now have to present a medical certificate stating they don't have an eating disorder, and must be over 16.
Models in Milan, Rome and Madrid are banned if they have a body mass index of less than 18 - what the United Nations considers to be underweight. And the rules are being enforced - three models were banned at last month's Madrid fashion week and 15 models were banned from Rome fashion week and in June last year.
And it's not just the catwalk. To concide with Milan fashion week last year, photographer Oliveriero Toscani created a series of ads featuring a morbidly anorexic woman in a bid to shock women out of the thin-is-pretty mentality.
A spokesperson from teh fashion coucnil of Australia said Australia didn't have a problem with underweight models or industry pressure for thin models.
Yet ex-model Leda Ross, 22, begs to differ.
"I modelled for about 5 years but I left because I realized I wasn't that type of obsessive person. People would said things like "you're beautiful but your hips are too big o they would pull out a tape measure and tell me to lose weight."
"In the end I decided my bone structure was my bone structure, I can't do anything about it and I don't want to be made to feel guilty and think that I'm fat."
Ms Ross now works in the fashion magazine industry and said when reading magazines the pressure to look good waas still there, but could be avoided.
"Like everywhere, Australian magazines use thin models, but a lot of publications make a real effort to have real-sized beautiful people as well as thin models. I think it's one of those things where you can interpret a fashion shoot in so many ways, it's not simply saying 'be skinny like me.'"
Dr. Gullotta said the Australian Medical Association would welcome the opportunity to meet with government and industry representatives to discuss body image and appropriate guidelines for catwalk models.

Teachers need training to tackle a complex problem - The Schools
By Emily Sherlock
MORE training is urgently needed for teachers dealing with students suffering obesity and body image problems, a Sydney academic has found.
University of Sydney associate professor in the education and social work faculty Jennifer O'Dea said many current approaches were inappropriate and protenially harmful. She had heard stories of teachers weighing students in front of their peers and a high school teacher who started a diet club for overweight girls.
"Teachers need to understand what body image issues are, how they can affect what a child is willing to eat or whether they are willing to participate in sport or PE and how it is linked to general self-esteem," she said.
"In the past, we have found that a lot of teachers - particularly PE teachers - have weighed and measured kids in schools and talked about being overweight as a disease.
"Along with the media and Western Culture we have created this incredible fear of fatness and paranoia about our weight.
"You want teachers to approach the issue as one of physical, social, emotional and psychological mental health - a child's health is so much more than their weight and teachers need to really understand that.
Eating disorder sufferers Noelle Graham, Kathryn Scott and Hannah McAlister said teachers needed training in dealing with issues such as anorexia and bulimia.
"Many teachers don't know what to say or do," Ms McAlilster said. "I had one teacher tell me how great I looked now I had lost weight when I was battling anorexia."
The girls said they had recently approcahed several Canberra schools asking if they could share their stories and experiences with teachers and students byt had been knocked back.
"We were told we couldn't as they didn't want people think there were eating disorders at the school." Ms. Scott said.
"We had a couple of schools say that - it is really intersting because it shows that there is that stigma out there.
"It is putting the name of the school before the welfare of the students and I think that is really dangerous."
ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr said schools recieved many approaches from organizations and individuals who wanted to present their programs in schools.
"Principals and teachers make the decision as to who speaks at the school based on considerations such as whether the topic or speaker fits in with the curriculum or would add to a unit of work being studied by the students at the time." he said.
ACT public schools were committed to providing student support programs.
"The new curruculum for all ACT schools, 'Every Chance to Learn', has a strong emphasis on health as one of its essential learning areas including on the mental health of students to help students learn more about issues such as eating disorders, and how to recgnise them and help themselves or fellow students," he said.
Mr Barr said the department would start a new course for teachers in July, in partnership with Nutrition Australia, "to provide up to date infomration and best practice around nutrition."

Eating disorders program handles hundreds of people - The Services
MORE than 70 people were treated or assessed for eating disorders in the ACT in the last financial year, ACT Health statistics show.
There were also 108 referrals to the eating disorders program and a 112 phone consultations with unregistered clients.
Local sufferers hit out last week at the services avaliable in the ACT, saying more government funding wasa needed for both in and out-patient services and increased counselling and support for sufferers, families and friends.
The ACT has a community-based eating disorders program, which provides a free, public, specialist outpatient program to the ACT and surrounding NSW regions.
It also provides group therapy with an intensive day-treatment program for anorexia nervosa sufferers and individual therapy for those suffering bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders.
In 2006-07, 18 people including two men were admitted to the anorexia day program with an average stay of 11.3 weeks.
In the same period, 37 people were treated for bulimia, buge eating and unspecified eating disorders. Those in the ACT requiring inpatient care through the public health system are admitted to the Canberra Hospital or Calvary Hospital.
The closest specialist eating disorders clinic is in Sydney.
A spokeswoman for ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher defended the support avaliable.
"The [eating disorders program] offers ongoing individual family support and therapy to clients, families and friends." she said.
"However there is no voluntary support gorup outside of the [program] for those clients suffering an eating disorder and their families."
Emily Sherlock.

Youth Week 2008 Yay!

Yay! Youth Week went really well.
Katy and Noelle did an awesome job because by the time I got there all the scales had been painted already!
We got lots of positive feedback and heaps of people participated. I'm half asleep as I'm typing this so instead of risking typing something stupid in my semi-delusional state, I'll post some photos instead.










(this is Noelle and myself)

Thanks everyone!

<3 Hannah

National Youth Week Expo

Hey Guys!

These are three examples of the scales that were painted today (the bottom one, with the foot prints is my scale). It was a really amazing night. We had such a great chat to the Navigate people, as well as Cyclops. We also met Ben from Carers ACT, which was good to meet him in the flesh and we're really hoping to get this family/friends support group up and running really soon :)

I'm getting really tired now (even though it is early) and thinking is very....very...challenging! So, I'm sure Katy and Hannah will update sometime on the weekend, with many more cool pictures!

Peace out,

Noelle xoxo.

For the sufferers

Firstly: well done for coming to this blog and thank you for reading.

Secondly: none of use are doctors or professionals but we have lived with Eating Disorders and understand that they are a nightmare and that they are, everyday, a constant battle.

Thirdly: No one experience is the same. I urge you to live and grow as a person and try to fight your illness with all your heart and all your strength because you are not your ED and you can beat it.

If you are suffering form an ED it can be hard to see the positve things in life. It can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between what you want and what your ED wants. You want everyone to just go away and you don't want people to care. You can see your ED is hurting people so you puch them away to try and protect them. You feel lonely and awful. You constantly feel like you're being pulled in two different directions and you are exhausted emotionally and physically. Sometimes you catch yourself wondering "why?" and you can find no rational answer that actually comes from you but maybe some random answers from your ED.

No you are not mad.

No you are not a failure or a waste of space or people's time.

Having an ED is hard and it's not something a lot of people undertand. Professionals seem to have this attitude of black and white. They lable you say "this is what you are thinking" and then when you try to say that you're not thinking that but something else they say "no you are! your ED is telling you you're not." Professionals can be stuffy and frustrating. I remember leaving my psychiatrist in tears each time I saw her and thinking "does my dietician have a damn clue?" (especially when she would do random things like tell me my clothing must have upped my weight by a kilo or two when all I was wearing was a pair of short shorts and a tank top and no shoes.)
People tend to treat you with a polite (or impolite) attitude that says "you're a liar" or "you're just attention seeking." People can be cruel.
People, and professionals I feel, can be extremely reluctant to experience or try and understand something unknown and something that requires empathy and understanding as well as an understanding that there is no black and white. People tend to like to categorize you and rattle off a whole heap of options for treatment and your diagnosis & "your" behaviours.

In Canberra there are limited services and the ones we do have are not up to scratch. I would recommend that you see a GP and ask to be referred to a psychologist (it may take a while to find one you like and it may take a while to build a relationship with them but give it a hot) to discuss your issues. Talk to someone you trust and are close to. If you feel you cannot open up to your loved ones keep talking to your GP or psychologist. If you can't bare to bring yourself to seek help for an ED talk to someone about whatever is on your ind (you'd be suprised how theraputic this is as the ED grabs things to hold onto and make you feel insecure and unsafe so discussing things which may not seem related provide the ED less material to grab onto.)

Speak out. Reach out! There are people who will listen and there are people out there who know what you are going through.

All the best,
Kate xoxox

Busy Blog!!!

Wow. I go out for a few hours and EVERYONE updates! Fantastic! :)

I just have some pictures to share with you:

This is a poster in the Civic Bus Interchange - I'm naughty, I stuck it over one of the ANU posters. Please note that the poster below says "ANU" and not "ANO" becuase we don't promote eating disorders as a lifestyle choice!!!
These are the notes we made for the "media guidelines :) That was from a few days ago - but just letting you know that we DO actually work - we don't just do things on a whim!!!

This is Hannah enjoying her sushi lunch. We got coffee - and then got distracted by sea-weedy goodness :)

This is me (Noelle) with one of her besties...haha. Diet coke. yay.

Today was fantastic! I think we're still on a high from this morning! Was such great fun.

TOTALLY looking forward to tomorrow! yay! Come along! Paint a scale!

Here's the video of our interview this morning (it's really only audio, but we had to put it in video format to upload it). I'm still trying to upload the video from the ABC interview :)

This is Katy and Noelle waiting in the office at the Mix 106.3 studio this morning before our interview:



And here is Noelle and me (Hannah) on the bus after the interview!



We wanted to get photos of us doing the radio interview but we forgot so you just have to look at more photos of our heads :-(

I know I posted it before, and Katy wrote it in the post below this one, but
Come to Garema Place in Civic tomorrow evening (Friday April 4th) and paint some scales! We will be there from 4pm till 8pm.

<3 Hannah

A Message to All

Something eveyone seems to do is forget that the parents, families and friends of a sufferer of an Eating Disorder (ED) are hurting just as much as the sufferer. The person they love is hurting and they fear for that person's life. They don't know how to speak to the sufferer, what to tall their friends or where to turn. This post is for you!

I would love to say that I have a thousand places in mind to suggest you can seek help at but I simply dont'. I would love to say that there is a service available in the ACT or surrounding regional areas that would be able to provide high level specialized care but there isn't. I would love to say that there is a government established that understands how poor their services are but at the moment they aren't making steps to improve their existing services.

These are all things that CAN change!

No Eating Disorder is "textbook."

No story is the same.

Everyone is unique and so are their stories.

You may have heard us on the radio (106.3) this morning. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to say very much but I'll say what I can here and try to make it as clear as I can (believe me I could soend a life time going on and on but I'll limit myself to relevent information.)

To the Parents:

You may be feeling lost and don't know what to do. You are frustrated, angry, hurt and upset and your life is probably a living hell as your fear for your child's life, long for "the old son/daughter" who was happy and healthy. You are hurt by professionals, don't know where to turn in the first place and don't know how to talk to your son/daughter or your friends.

My parents were emotionally torn apart by my illness. They were vaguely aware that something was wrong but didn't like to mention it to me because I would become very distressed and annoyed. When I was annoyed I pushed them further and further away. They felt exhausted and didn't know what to do. The physical effects of my disease (anorexia) hit hard and fast. I was hospitalized by my GP and the first doctor to see me told me "you are likely to die very soon."

My parents were devestated! They felt that they had failed. What could they have done better? What had they done wrong? Had they caused it? The reality is that my parents are two wonderful people who have given me everything. They were accused of sexually abusing me, being controlling, dominating my life, too protective and even accused of neglecting me (my brother had cancer when I was young.) My parents stuck by me those two months in hospital (a private psychiatric hospital in Canberra which had no specializations in Eating Disorders as no other hospital had room or they thought I was "too sick".)

They were working, they were visiting me (although at one point the doctor told them not to visit me) and they were exhausted! After hospital it didn't stop. I had dieticians, psychologists, psychiatrists and my GP all telling them different things. I attended a day program (which I left because they left myslef and my parents worse off emotionally and mentally.) Nothing seemed to work. But with their support I got by. With their support and love and never-ending unconditional love I survived.

The message here for any parent is NEVER GIVE UP!!! The hospital system is cruel. The health system is messy. Go to a GP and seek help for your son/daughter. Talk to your son/daughter.

Your child is not gone! They are sick with a mental illness that is trying to puch you out of thier lives because it is afraid because it knows your child loves you and wants to be with you not the ED.

Don't be afraid to seek help for yourself too. Talk to someone close to you or a psychologist about what you are experiencing. You're no help to your child if you're an emotional wreck and are likely to snap and tell them "why can't you just get better?" or "get over it!" Things like this are said out of anger and the ED teaches your child to hold onto these outbursts and your child will hurt even more. It's hard to be a 24hr support! Just try to treat everyday anew and try to move on. Try not to burst and don't hate yourself if you do, talk to your child and say you're sorry and "what can I do to help?" You may get a "Nothing I hate you!" repsonse but eventually you may just wear the ED down and a whole heap of emotions may come spilling out so brace yourself (I did this once. I got to a point where I was like "I hate this! I want out! I want my life back!!!!")

"Your illness has been a much harder road to travel. With Matt's (my brother) illness (cancer) it was so easy to jump on the medical treadmill and do all the treatment options...but with you there was no textbook answer." - Mum, on my illness

There is hope. Remember that.

To Friends & Every Other Loved One:

You may be wondering what happened to your friend. You may be thinking that they're not themself. You might be to scared to talk to them about what might be wrong...or you might bite the bullet, talk and get a negative response (they break all communication with you or yell at you.) What the hell can you do?

When I was becoming ill I shut myself out from EVERYONE. I didn't talk to family or friends. I didn't go out to group outings, I didn't want to garden with my mum. All I wanted was to be alone. So how do you communicate, let alone help, someone who you can see is ill and who you may suspect is developing or battling an ED? Answer: there is no easy way to do it.

Some of my friends have said they could tell for a while that something was up. They became really worried that something was really wrong when my face became thin and I looked frail and sick. They didn't know what to say so they kept quiet being afraid to talk to me about it for fear of upsetting me or making me mad. There were some girls at my school who whispered "she's doing it for attention." I can tell you now that I was NOT doing it for attention and I can tell you now that when I found out (before becoming so unwell that I risked dying from a heart attack any minute) what those girls were saying I just wanted to lock myself in my room and crawl under a rock.

!!!! There is no easy option and no formula!!!!!! but DO....

1: Stick around! You never know if your friend may reach out to you.

2: Stand up for the sufferer. Shut up the people who are making negative and potentially damaging comments. They can puch your loved one over the edge!

3: Keep a smile on and be yourself (don't sit ther and be like "finish your lunch or else!!!!")

Try to talk to them. Even talk to a trusted peer (who you know will not spread gossip or pass on your concern.) Even talk to a counsellor or psychologist about what you can do to help.

You are a key support for the sufferer. Where will they turn if you or/& their parents turn away? They need you and they do want you there. Theit ED doesn't want you there, they DO.

Summing Up:

Remember NO ONE IS THE SAME!!!!! Just because a book tells you "they do this" doesn't mean that they do.

Keep an open mind!

Start every day anew and try and smile.

Be there! Stick around. Don't run away. It's hard but it's really important.

Don't be pushy eg. "you are anorexic!" or "just eat! It's not that hard" or "you're attention seeking"

Surround yourself with positive people who will support you! You need support too as well as the sufferer.

Know that this does not get better overnight! Be in it for the long haul and be prepared for a rocky ride.

All the best.

Know that it can get better.

Kat xox

Kate Speaks Out

Ok. I had no idea that we were on a roster to update this as Noelle suggested further down the page but here we go. After I finally received the invitation to join this site; my laptop breaking and then being fixed;after finishing work at Oxygen Cafe and CIT work I've "gotten around to it."

Today was the 106.3 interview in which we promoted out Youth Week Project "Scaling the Height of Freedom" (hehe i came up with that one). I think one of the girls gave the details further down the page but I'll just clarify those in bold easy-to-understand formatting:

Friday April 4th

(This is the LAUNCH)

4-8pm @ Garema PLace, Civic

Thursday April 10th

1-3pm @ Civic Square in front of the ACT Legislative Assembly

Friday April 11th

(2 Locations)

1. University of Canberra Campus @ 9am-12pm

2. Woden Square @ -5pm

Thursday April 17th

Youth in the City @ 2-5pm

A little Background on Scaling the Heights to Freedom:

Youth Week was a project Noelle and I (Kate/Katy) have been working on since January with the help of super wonderful awesome youth workers at Youth in the City.

We wanted to do something about the lack of services in the ACT for those suffering from an Eating Disorder as well as support for families and friends of the suffer (I really pushed this.)

The project just kept growing. I deigned a logo and it was manipulated into the posters you may have seen around places like ANU. We ended up holding a forum at the Legislative Assembly which was hosted by Jaqui Burke (spelling? sorry!) It was a great night and we had an incredibly positive response which spurred us on to make this bigger and better than the last event.

So come along and paint a message of hope on scales and send a message to the ACT goverment to do something about this problem. Come along and Share, Live , Shout & Unite! Together we can beat these illnesses!

Kate xox

106.3 Interview!!!

Hey we just had a radio interview! So nerve wracking but we did it and it went awesomely. So who listened to mix 106.3? I hope everybody did!
We tried to speak about eating disorders in general as well as plug our youth week stuff. And with that, here are the details. I hope you will all go.

Tomorrow (Friday 4th April) we will be in Garema Place from 4pm till 8pm. Come along and help us paint some scales, everyone who participates will be part of our 'scale art' exhibition which we are launching outside the legislative assembly from 1 till 3pm next Thursday 10th April. Speakers will include Dr Vivienne Lewis, Jacqui Burke MLA (shadow minister for Health) and ourselves.
You may even be in the Canberra Times or The Chronicle!

We got a recording of the interview which is a youtube video (you don't have to look at the picture! It's the same one, just listen ;) alrighty!)

Noelle is sitting beside me demanding that I type...
I don't think we ever expected to get this much publicity. And some of the questions we get asked are a little difficult to answer, like asking why we have eating disorders. I'm sure not a psychologist and all I can go by are my own experiences. I hope people don't expect us to be experts about eating disorders!

Anyway, come tomorrow or else! Signing off now
-Hannah :D

ABC Radio and Canberra Times

Well, today we had INTERVIEWS! Scary...but YAY! First off we had an interview with Emily Sherlock of the Canberra Times who is doing a feature on us and eating disorders, to go in the Canberra Times this Sunday which is superly exciting :)

During that interview I also took a phone call from 666 (ABC Radio, but 666 looks cooler - not that the people I spoke to from the ABC were devils...) who asked me if I'd be alright to do an interview in...about an hour. That really took me by surprise! But there we go!!! My fist radio interview over and done with!

I spoke on the Afternoon show with Geniveve Jacobs. She asked really intelligent questions and hopefully I answered them with equal intelligence! I really hope I managed to drum in the message that you can recover from an eating disorder - freEDom truly is possible - and that the services avaliable are not enough. I haven't heard the segment back yet as I was at work when it aired, but I can pick it up from the ABC tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning is the 106.3 Breakfast Show with Mark and Lisa. Such an early morning! We're going on air at around 7:50-8:00am, to about 8:30am which is really great - we'll also be taking callers, so if anyone wants to call up and ask us a question, GO FOR YOUR LIFE! We'd really love to have some callers.

6 months ago I never would have imagined that I would be doing anything like this - I was completely trapped in my eating disorder. I feel like doing this is a fantastic part of recovery :)

No pictures of Emily and the 666 interview was done by my mobile in the middle of Woden Square, so no cool pictures of studios either! Tomorrow, I won't promise, but we hope!!!

Noelle xoxo.

Sleep Deprived

Ok - today was a pretty busy day. I spent a large portion of my morning on the phone to Reach Out! (www.reachout.com.au) and The Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria (www.eatingdisorders.org.au) so their media teams could help me design media guidelines. I think I've come up with them (You'll have to wait for some interview to come out, they should be much more positive oriented with these guidelines in place).

I got back on the phone to 106.3 - who hadn't had the time to call me. Jo will be calling me back tomorrow to really finalize when we're going on the radio! Then we can update here!!! :)

We have an interview with Emily from the Canberra Times. They're running a feature on us. Still not sure what day that will be in the paper. I will try to take pictures of the interview (depends if our reporter wants to be in the shots!!!)

I will update more tomorrow - mushy brain. Gah. Thinking.

Hi! Noelle claims her ramblings are nonsensical but it is 11:39pm and I should really be sleeping, so I doubt I'm going to make any sense at all. Probably I will read this in the morning and scratch my head in wonderment. Is wonderment even a word? Well it is now.

Tomorrow I am Taking Action and spreading youth week posters all over ANU. I figure I'll plaster them over toilet doors or something - that way people sit down and Bam! I have a captive audience.

Attending the Eating Disorder Program day program today really impressed on me how badly we need more services in Canberra/Queanbeyan - even the staff members admit that at the moment the program is little use. I find it to be little more than babysitting. The staff (well most of them) are all wanting to help and have the right attitude but they are just so lacking in resources and inspiration. Staff members say they would like to provide a 5-day a week program if they had the money for more staff, but I don't think that would be worth anyone's while unless they create a program that actually workds. There are TWO of us in the program at the moment. If it were working, more people would be being referred.

I really should go to sleep now. Wait for the seroquel to kick in........(any time now)


Anyway, since Noelle posted a photo of herself, here is me looking cross-eyed at the mirror:

Radio

Well, Katy was going to update tonight, but it doesn't look as if she's gotten around to it - so to keep this place interesting, I will update on her behalf (and she can update more later!)

Today I talked to 106.3 about appearing on their breakfast show - they're going to get back to me. I also talked to the ABC about being interviewed on their afternoon show. Both producers seemed really nice and genuinely interested about raising awareness about this illness which is GREAT! We need more energy around awareness. It's really cool, but also kind of scary!!! We'll probably be doing the Mix 106.3 breakfast show on Thursday morning - which means we're going to have to get up at stupid-o'clock to get to the studio by 5:30am.

We're also going to have a feature done on us in the Canberra Times. We have that interview on Wednesday. I'm not sure what day it will be published. We're going to try and get pictures of when we do all of this so we can keep readers entertained! ;)

Today I decorated Civic (bus interchange and around near Oporto) with posters for our Youth Week Events, so when you get a chance (and you live in Canberra) check it out! It was quite amusing, it was windy, I was by myself...sticky tape and paper doesn't go well when there's a wind blowing them together. Mass frustration.

Everything's really getting underway!!! It's quite surreal really, but amazing. I am so honored to be meeting such amazing people on this journey - and I am so honored to be working with Katy and Hannah, who have just as much passion as I do around this issue.

This is a picutre of Katy and I right before the forum. We were so hyped up on nerves and excitement! I think Jan was doing a phone interview just behind where the camera is. haha. It was pouring with rain and I forgot that I was wearing sunnies. Oopsies.

When Katy and Hannah get around to it, they will introduce themselves, but for now, I am going to talk about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

That's me. Looking thoughtful and planning our next media escapades. I belive that was taken about 3 mintues before earth hour. But I was too scared to turn the lights out totally...I was home alone and it was dark and I couldn't find the candles. I enjoy appearing thoughtful and intelligent. Haha.

I should also go to bed as I have a long day tomorrow :) Hopefully Katy or Hannah will update soon so you don't have to listen to only my nonsensicle rantings!

First Entry!!!

So, today Kat and I decided on a whim to make a blog! How exciting. Now people can follow our weird and whacky travels. We're three girls, with a complete and utter passion to make a difference. All of us have struggled with eating disorders, and all three of us are trying to improve services for those who do struggle with eating disorders in Canberra.
First, I should introduce you to all of us:

Noelle (me):

I am 18, have had bulimia and ED-NOS for 6 years (yes, you did the maths right, since I was 12 years old). I have a dog called Matilda who is a mini-foxi x teacup chihuahua with stunted growth (she's tiiiiiiiny). I also love to play my younger brothers guitar hero and I really SUCK at it...but I would never admit that to him.
I fly to Melbourne for treatment of my eating disorder - becuase the services in Canberra simply are not. I consider myself in recovery, and should be leaving treatment soon - but this doesn't mean that I'm any less passionate about this cause, in fact, I want there to be support services avaliable for the duration of illness to everyone who struggles with an eating disorder in Canberra.

Kat:

Kat is 18 and a survivor of Anorexia Nervosa. She has a very cute cat called Toby. At the age of 16, Kat was told that she wouldn't survive her illness. Her story is remarkable, as she has survived the odds and is still with us (fighting) today!

Hannah:


Hannah has struggled with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and ED-NOS for the past 5 years. She is 20 and after many hospitalizations as a direct result of her eating disorder, has decided to make a stand and fight for change.

As for the work we do...we recently held a forum, which was hosted by Jacqui Burke MLA at the Legistlative Assembly called "Eating Disorders - Dispelling The Myths".

From L-R -> Cate Clark (Mental Health Nurse, Eating Disorders Specialist and presenter), Kathryn Scott, Hannah McAlister, Noelle Graham, Jacqui Burke MLA, Jan Clarke (Psychologist, CEO of The Bronte Foundation and International Eating Disorders Advocate).

Keep your eyes peeled becuase there will be a feature of us in The Canberra Times in the following weeks!!! :)

Ciao for now!

Noelle xoxo.