Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This week is National Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Few people would be aware of that fact. Since Sunday there have been 30 news reports on the issue of obesity; there has been only one article on the issue of body image and eating disorders. It is important that we discuss obesity but we also need to address eating disorders, because they have been ignored for too long. This is despite the fact that they are the third most prevalent illness in adolescent women. It is estimated that around seven per cent of the Australian population suffers from an eating disorder. Recently a brave young constituent of mine, Sarah Ralph, wrote to me about her battle with an eating disorder. In her letter she said:

I am a sufferer of the chronic and debilitating illness anorexia nervosa. Seven years of my life has dwindled by whilst I am subjected to inadequate health services. Eating disorders are largely misconceived by the community and passed off as a simple slimming disease. However, the epidemic proportions within the community that currently suffer from eating disorders should not allow for such a flippant notion. I have relocated to Melbourne after hearing about treatment facilities at the Bronte Foundation. Relocation has created a huge financial burden and exacerbated my symptoms. Devonport was my community, home and birthplace, and a safe haven for my development as a citizen. The severe lack of information, treatment facilities and understanding is not specific to Devonport. Since relocating, I have been overwhelmed by the care, understanding, family counselling, community education and multifaceted approach taken by the whole Bronte professional team.

In response to Sarah’s letter I visited the Bronte Foundation and met with its founder, Jan Cullis. I was horrified to learn that, despite successfully treating hundreds of people each year, the Bronte Foundation is at risk of closure because it cannot secure government or philanthropic funding. While millions of dollars are being poured into the treatment and prevention of obesity, almost no government funding goes towards eating disorders. Medical professionals are now saying that ironically all this talk about obesity is exacerbating the problem of eating disorders. There is no one reason why an eating disorder develops but, according to a British study, dieting is the greatest risk factor for the development of an eating disorder. The media and advertising industry’s obsession with weight is getting out of control. A recent article in the Age revealed that a group of year 4 students in Melbourne recently put themselves on a water-only diet. The AMA has described the increase in eating disorders in school aged children as a mini crisis.

In July, I wrote to the Minister for Health and Ageing urging him to hold a national summit to discuss body image, drawing together the media, the fashion and advertising industries, medical professionals and other community groups. We need to develop a national code of conduct on body image to curb the increase in eating disorders. The minister has not yet responded. This is a national issue. Eating disorders are not confined by state and territory boundaries and this deserves a national response, yet the coalition has not once mentioned National Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week. I condemn them for not doing this. I want to praise the Victorian state government and minister Jacinta Allan, who has actually held an inquiry into body image and called for a code of conduct. There should be a national code. This is an issue that is out of control.

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