A pilot program to support parents in the early diagnosis of eating disorders in their children is being rolled out in Wyndham.
The Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED) is training Headspace clinicians in Werribee and other private and community allied health professionals and GPs to identify, refer or treat early signs of eating disorders.
The “whole-of-community” care model is part of a three-pronged strategy, titled Operation Early Action and Treatment, aimed at closing the gap between parents seeing the first signs of an emerging eating disorder and getting the child into appropriate treatment.
According to the CEED, about 1181 Wyndham people aged 10 to 19 have an eating disorder.
Young families
Belinda Caldwell, of the Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders, said Wyndham did not have higher rates of eating disorders than other areas but was chosen for the pilot due to its high concentration of young families.
Ms Caldwell said parents and health- care providers preferred a “wait and see” approach before diagnosing an eating disorder.
“It’s a very novel approach to early intervention for eating disorders; most programs are done post-diagnosis.”
The pilot will run until the end of August. If successful, the program will be rolled out in other parts of Melbourne.
