Hundreds of thousands of Australians going untreated
Approximately 1 million Australians are currently living with an eating disorder (ED); leaving over 4% of the population to suffer in silence.
Obsessed, fixated and withering to the bone —
Eating disorders have become Australia’s leading psychiatric cause of death, and are one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. With over one million Aussies living with the debilitating disease, studies have shown only 200,000 are receiving adequate treatment; that’s a mere 20% of patients.
Known for their media-based stereotypes; young women, aged 15-17, are objectively skinny and often attention-seeking. Eating disorders are one of the most misrepresented mental illnesses out there and are often dismissed, but with each day more lives are being put at risk through a lack of education, treatment and government funding.
With an escalation of eating disorders throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and with the excessive use of lockdowns here in Australia, particularly that of Victoria, studies have shown an estimated 40% of suffers have gone untreated, while the remaining population struggle to receive the adequate care needed to begin recovery.
InsideOut psychologist Rachel Simeone speaks on the matter, as our restrictions continue to ease.
“For many people experiencing an eating disorder, it will take a lot of time to recover from the hit that the COVID pandemic and associated health measures have delivered over the past two years —
We cannot assume that eating disorders will simply resolve when restrictions ease”
Alike InsideOut, many eating disorder organisations have come to the rescue of many suffering during our times of lockdown and have worked tirelessly to provide the tools needed to assist patients who are undergoing treatment in the confinement of their homes. One organisation, in particular, that has provided a long list of resources through these trying times is Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV), with such services as wellbeing counselling, online support groups, carer coaching and telehealth nurses, as well as providing an enhancement in their online learning tools for patients, families and carers.
These essential services have received an overwhelming response and have since seen a great improvement in the recovery and personal wellbeing of so many struggling Australians. Nevertheless, and despite this substantial influence, the Australian Government continue to ignore the overarching risk that comes with a lack of funding and the need to promote such programs within the eating disorder community.
As of now, these programs at Eating Disorders Victoria are under threat as a result of the Australian Government and their lack of financial resources, as EDV has not been advised of any ongoing funding for these digitally enforced services now that lockdowns have been ceased. As of June, Eating Disorders Victoria will no longer have the resources to support such programs, leaving thousands of sufferers without the accessibility to such tools.
These programs are not only accessible to both regional and metropolitan-based sufferers, but they are also cost-efficient as all services provided by EDV are free. Unlike various other forms of treatment, EDV prides itself on its ability to assist in the long journey of recovery free of charge. With an estimated minimum of two years in recovery, the average cost to support the process itself is to be between $100,000-$200,000, these services are providing a crucial level of convenience and are saving families and sufferers from financial debts and from terminating their recovery journeys, as many cases depict.
The health and wellbeing of thousands of suffering Australians rest in the hands of the Australian Government as they decide whether a life-saving and life-changing program is worth their time, attention and money. With numbers only intensifying and statistics becoming more deadly, the scrutiny of the Australian Government is required as so many Aussies go untreated, uncared for and left to die. With organisations like Eating Disorders Victoria going underfunded, the higher our death rate will rise, as innocent people lose their lives to this debilitating disease.