Love your body
Up to 80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies – and the problem is affecting girls at a younger and younger age, says the Eating Difficulties Education Network (Eden).
TrustLine, March 2009
“The pressure to diet and obtain an ‘ideal’ body shape is immense,” says Eden’s co-ordinator, Maree Burns, and the demand for Eden’s services increases 20-30% a year. That includes training and educational programmes focused on preventing eating issues, a resource centre and library, phone, email and face-to-face support.
Eden takes a different view of eating difficulties. “In a way we consider them a sane response to insane pressures rather than the other way around,” Maree says. “We help people understand why the problem is occurring and our clients learn that its not shameful and that they are not personally culpable. They can then begin to resist pressures and generate change.”
One of the annual highlights is Love Your Body Day, in October. It helps spread Eden’s message about body trust and satisfaction, size acceptance and diversity.
Last year’s event was a huge success, with community mural-painting in Auckland’s Aotea Square. People were invited to ‘put their hands up for body satisfaction’.
“Our message is to eat when you’re hungry, eat a wide range of nutritious foods, and stop when you’re full. Develop a loving relationship with your body and live actively. It’s about balance and moderation,” Maree says.
Based in Westmere, Auckland, Eden is the only community agency north of Wellington working with people with an eating issue. The Eating Disorder Service (EDS) deals with serious cases, but has strict entry criteria and a long waiting list.
Eden provides eating disorder services at a health promotion, early intervention, and secondary intervention level. It also works with those who fall outside EDS’ entry criteria.
Receiving no Government funding, it relies mostly on grants and donations.
“We’re the first point of contact for many people,” says Maree. “We get self-referrals as well as parents and teachers who are concerned about their children or students – they ring us and ask what they can do.”
Eden runs training courses for school guidance councilors and health teachers, support groups and advises GPs about eating disorders. It also maintains a wealth of information on its website.
“We’ve been through a recent growth phase which has emphasized the importance of strategic planning and ensuring our sustainability,” says Maree. “We now have robust governance and management systems and the operation is really humming.
“That makes our office a pleasant place for clients to visit. It’s professional, its calm and we deliver on what we promise.”