🔔 Last chance! Our survey on what really matters in eating disorders early intervention closes this Friday 4th July.

🧠 Add your voice: qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

I’m thrilled to have received a Launchpad Grant from @medresfdn.bsky.social
This award will enable me to investigate an important relationship between loneliness and eating disorders in young people. Huge thanks to the Medical Research Foundation for supporting this work!

Staying on course with early intervention for eating disorders: beware of dilution and drift. Comment on Downs, J. ‘Redefining prevention and early intervention to include longstanding and severe eati... In a thought-provoking opinion piece written largely from his own lived experience, James Downs calls for a ‘re-imagination’ and broadening of the concepts, principles and practices of early intervent...

Read our new Matters Arising paper! We discuss protecting the core purpose of early intervention in eating disorders while keeping the conversation open on improving care for everyone.

jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

📊 New Research!


Our latest study investigates the long-term impact of COVID-19 on FREED services across England. Watch our video to see some key findings and what this means for early intervention in eating disorders.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

#EatingDisorders #EarlyIntervention

Our survey is still open! We especially want to hear from underrepresented groups.

Take our short survey here: qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

#EatingDisorders #EarlyIntervention #FREED

➡️Please consider taking part in our survey! 📊We aim to include as diverse a range of views as possible. Your answers will inform an early intervention action plan shared with policy makers and practitioners! qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_... ⬅️

What really matters in early intervention for eating disorders? We want to hear from you – those with lived experience, families, clinicians, researchers, anyone involved.

Take our short survey here: qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

#EatingDisorders #EarlyIntervention #FREED

Still recruiting! People with a current or past eating disorder are needed for this study to understand experiences of seeking help - we are particularly keen to hear from people from ethnic minority backgrounds www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-informat...

Ramadan Mubarak! 🌙✨

Ramadan is a time of reflection and devotion, but for those with eating disorders, it can also bring unique challenges.

Here are some ways to take care of yourself this Ramadan. 💙

#eatingdisorders #recovery #helpandsupport #beat #ramadanmubarak #ramadan

Ideas for pro-recovery podcasts • Eating disorder recovery podcast by Tabitha Farrar • Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbs • Food Psych by Christy Harrison • Ease with Food by Sharon Weston • An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast by Dr Marianne-Land Distraction techniques It may be helpful to have a list of techniques in mind to reduce the urge to engage in eating disorder behaviours or to distract yourself from strong emotions if you feel overwhelmed. Recovery is personal, and each person will prefer different distraction techniques. Experiment and see which methods are most helpful for YOU. Some techniques include listening to music, calling a friend or family member, playing a game, starting a new hobby, thinking about your recovery goals, changing your environment.

Ideas for pro-recovery reading • Eating Disorders Don’t Discriminate by Chukwuemeka Nwuba • More than a Body by Lexie and Lindsay Kite • Body Positive Power by Meghan Jayne Crabbe • The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor • Anti-diet by Christy Harrison • Fattily Ever After by Stephanie Yeboah • Happy Fat by Sofie Hagen • Sick Enough by Jennifer Gaudian Words to my pre-recovered self I know things feel hard and like you want to give up, but your life in a few years could be so much better than you ever thought it could be. Try to hold ono hope, and remember you are not alone. Try to keep in mind… Speak to yourself the way you would speak to a friend. Try to make a conscious effort to be kind to yourself. The BEAT charity has online support groups, which could be a supportive tool to consider.

Grounding techniques Tools to keep in mind if/when emotions feel strong: • Box breathing. • Self talk: reassure yourself with phrases like ‘I am safe’ or ‘this feeling will pass.’ • Spell backwards: choose a word and spell it backwards slowly to redirect your thoughts. • Try to identify: 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 affirmation. Recovery quotes “Don’t let your eating disorder define you. You are so much more than that.” “No food will ever hurt you as much as your eating disorder will.” “Recovery doesn’t mean putting our life on hold, recovery means holding on, so that you can live your best life.” “I am worthy of recovery.” “You are not alone.” “Recovery is full of ups and downs. There is no such thing as a linear life. But you can always turn your setbacks into setups to come back stronger.”

Before being referred If you have not yet been diagnosed or referred to a specialised eating disorder service, please read additional information on the BEAT website. They can provide a leaflet for you to take to your GP appointment to support your referral to a specialised eating disorder service. Helpful apps • Tracking intake/behaviours: Recovery Record • Guided breathing exercises: Breathe! Or iBreathe • Managing difficult emotions: How We Feel, Daylio or Reflecty • For self-care: Finch Evidence-based self-help books • Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive Behavioural Self-Help Guide for Adult Suffers and their Carers by G. Waller, V. Mountford, R. Lawson and E. Gray • Getting Better Bit(e) by Bit(e): A Survival Kit for Sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder by U. Schmidt and J. Treasure • Bulimia Nervosa: A Cognitive Therapy Programme for Clients by M. Cooper, G. Todd and A. Wells • Body Image Workbook by T. F. Cash

✨ To wrap up eating disorders awareness week we’re sharing recovery resources created by SLaM in partnership with SWLSTG ✨

Let’s keep the conversation going beyond this week 💜

#EDAW #EatingDisorderAwareness #RecoveryIsPossible

Letters of Hope. Written by those who have lived with eating disorders

Dear (younger) Dave, I’m writing to you from the future...but don’t worry, that’s not as spooky as it sounds. You keep saying “I’ll get help when…”. But, that moment never comes mate. You’ll always shift the goal posts. Start now. Right now. Today. Read up about ‘eating disorders’ and realise that they are a spectrum rather than something you ‘have’ and ‘don’t have’, they are serious and it ain’t gonna give you the answers you’re looking for. I can’t tell you what’s coming ahead (I’ve seen Dr Who and all that sci-fi stuff and I know, if I begin to give you spoilers then it’ll rip the time/space continuum apart) but all I will say is...don’t let things get worse before you can get better. That is the thief of time mate, and you’ll only regret it. Dave

Dear friend, I heard you were struggling lately, and I know telling you it’s all going to be okay is something that you’ve probably heard many times before and something you may not even believe right now. I know you may think that I don’t know how it feels to have a constant battle in your mind over food, weight, and the way you look, or that I have never felt so hopeless of recovery, so I won’t try and convince you. Instead, I’ll tell you something else. You are strong. No one chooses to have an eating disorder, but you can choose recovery. There is strength in the choice you’ve made and your commitment to try. Despite the setbacks recently, with each breath you take and each foot forward to take a step, you will move forward and make it through today. That in itself is something you should be proud of. Your friend, Anjali

This letter is to you. The you that doesn’t feel worthy. The you that can’t bear to look in the mirror. The you that feels inadequate. The you that blames yourself for everything that goes wrong. I see you; I feel your pain, I have sat in the darkness where you are now, feeling completely alone. I understand your struggles. I understand that your eating disorder isn’t your choice. I know it convinces you that this is all you have. But I am here to tell you that you are enough. You aren’t broken, you are brave. I know it is scary, but you are strong. I know you are exhausted but today is not your forever. I am here to hold hope for you, in the times where you may not be able to hold it for yourself. I can reassure you that it does get better. You have time. You can recover. Recovery isn’t just the absence of the eating disorder. Recovery is finding meaning and joy again. Recovery is in the small moments and milestones.

These excerpts come from letters written by people who have lived with an eating disorder 💌.

They were adapted from Eating Disorders: The Basics. You can find the book here:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/103237957...

#Eatingdisordersawarenessweek #EDAW25 #FREEDfromED #PeerSupport

For Eating Disorders Awareness Week, we’re highlighting the power of peer support.💙

Peer support workers—those with lived experience of eating disorders—bring hope, connection and representation to treatment.

#PeerSupport #FREEDfromED #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek #EDAW25

YouTube video by EDIFY research Food Insecurity in Eating Disorders: A Short Animation

📣This #edaw2025, we wanted to share a recent animation we made with Woven Ink on food insecurity in people with eating disorders.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMhU...

To kick off Eating Disorders Awareness Week, we’re reintroducing ourselves and our mission. 💜

#EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek #EatingDisordersAwareness #EDAW #FREED

💬 Want to make a difference in eating disorder research?

Join the EDCRN Youth Advisory Board (delivered by the wonderful team at @beatedsupport.bsky.social !) and use your lived experience to improve treatments, shape care, and help others on their recovery journey. 🌟

IoPPN Youth Awards | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience | King’s College London The IoPPN Youth Awards allow young people (aged 15-18) from schools in the local area to have direct experience of research in the sciences.

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR THE IoPPN YOUTH AWARDS 2025!

📢Are you/do you know a student at a #London school? Apply for an exciting opportunity to get experience in #psychiatry, #psychology & #neuroscience at a leading uni

Deadline: Mon 24 Mar 📷
More info: www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/youth-...

New publication on help-seeking in eating disorders, with consideration of intersecting marginalised characteristics. Brilliant first PhD publication from Jessica Wilkins! @freedfromed.bsky.social @edifyresearch.bsky.social @kingsedresearch.bsky.social

jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Blue Monday can be tough, but it's also a great reminder to take a moment for yourself. 💙✨

What’s one thing you're doing for yourself today? 💭 #BlueMonday #SelfCare

The current clinical approach to feeding and eating disorders aimed to increase personalization of management Feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) are a heterogeneous grouping of disorders at the mind-body interface, with typical onset from childhood into emerging adulthood. They occur along a spectrum of dis...

What factors need to be considered when thinking about personalising treatment for eating disorders? A new research paper reviews the key current considerations, gaps in our knowledge, and the potential directions for the future of personalisation. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood....

🧠A new study, as a part of the @EDIFYresearch project, highlights the relationships between eating behaviours, genetic predispositions and brain maturation over adolescence. See the link below for more!

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Thanks to everyone who joined our online launch earlier! Great to see so many people in attendance and sharing such insightful thoughts and questions. Feeling even more energised for the next steps!✨️

A recording and FAQ from the event will be available soon😊

🌟Join the EDCRN Youth Advisory Board! 🌟

Help shape our network, improve ED care, & deepen understanding of ED treatment & outcomes. Share your experiences to ensure all voices are heard.

⭐ For ages 12–17 in recovery

📅 3 online 2-hour meetings

💷 £25/hour

Link in our Bio!

🚨 Calling all men! 🚨

We need your help to improve mental health support for men struggling with eating, exercise, and body image concerns.

👉Take part here: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/ucw/brains...

Professor Kate Tchanturia awarded MBE in New Year Honours

Congratulations to Kate Tchanturia, Professor of Psychology in Eating Disorders @kingsioppn.bsky.social and Consultant Psychologist, who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for her services to people with eating disorders and autism: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/new-yea...

📢 Read the Estra team's new paper! Machine learning models for diagnosis and risk prediction in eating disorders, depression, and alcohol use disorder
doi.org/10.1016/j.ja... 🧠

Not all New Year's resolutions need to be about big changes or perfection. Sometimes, it's about celebrating small victories, practicing kindness, and embracing the journey. 🌟

What are your recovery resolutions? 💙

#RecoveryResolutions #FREED

🎉 As 2024 comes to a close, we're proud to share this year's highlights from the FREED community! 🌟 Thank you for being part of this incredible journey 💙 #FREEDfromED #EarlyIntervention #EatingDisorders #FREED2024

📢 Join us for the EDCRN launch webinar!

🗓 13th Jan 2025
⏰ 12:00–14:00 GMT
💻 Online via Teams

💡 Key Topics:
✨ EDCRN vision & motivations
✨ Insights from caregivers & lived experience
✨ How services can get involved
✨ Q&A session
📩 Register now: forms.office.com/e/ZuHS2fbFGm