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Eating Disorder Informed

@edinformed

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Our vision is for every gym and fitness space to be eating disorder-informed: trained, resourced, and empowered to support those at risk.

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Huge day yesterday with the very first pilot of the Beat eating disorders training for gym and fitness professionals. Behind this is almost 14 months of work: fundraising, planning, discussing, and creating the training that was delivered. It was a privilege to see it come to fruition.

We’re hugely grateful to everyone who has worked on this so far, to the delegates who attended and engaged (despite the heat!) and for the encouraging feedback we received.

While there’s still room for tweaks and improvement, it was a fantastic session that instilled a real sense of hope in the future of early intervention and prevention for eating disorders in fitness settings.

There are 2 more pilots lined up over the coming months, then some time to review feedback and make those changes... then watch this space!

#EDInformed #EatingDisorders #EarlyIntervention #Fitness #Training by @edinformed

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3 months ago

Social media is saturated by the weight loss, wellness, and fitness industries, making it very easy to be pulled into the flurry of messaging telling us that diet, size, and discipline equate to health, happiness, and worth.

But advice ≠ expertise, and trends ≠ evidence.

Don’t be afraid to question what you’re being sold - you don’t owe every voice your trust.

Who am I listening to?
Who is this really for?
What is it asking of me?
How does it make me feel?

Thank you to the people doing this work every day - walking alongside those trying to navigate this landscape while also pushing the industries profiting to think harder and do better - and for sharing your insights here.

Save it. Share it. Come back to it.
And remember: your body holds more wisdom than an algorithm EVER will.

#EDInformed #EDAW #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek #SocialMedia #Fitness by @edinformed

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23

7 months ago

Exciting news!! We have a website!
Check us out at www.edinformed.org or click the link in our bio! ✨

#edinformed #eatingdisorderinformed #healthandfitness #beateatingdisorders by @edinformed

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5

a year ago

🫘 NEW EPISODE 🫘

Ever wondered where the line is between discipline and compulsive exercise?

This week I'm joined Sophie du Plessis, a final-year nursing student at King's College London and founder of @edinformed, a campaign calling on gyms to become eating disorder informed with @beatedsupport.

Sophie's own journey into this work started as a national-level swimmer, whose relationship with exercise took a dark turn into compulsive exercise and an eating disorder when her swimming career ended during the pandemic.

We talk about:

🏊🏼‍♀️ Sophie's journey from competitive swimming to compulsive exercise and an eating disorder

⚖️ Spotting the difference between healthy training and compulsive exercise

🤫 Why disordered exercise can sneak in quietly, unnoticed

💪🏼 Discipline vs wellness culture vs compulsive exercise

👀 Signs gym staff can look out for in their clients

🏋🏼‍♀️ Sophie's work piloting eating disorder awareness training for gym

This one might just change the way you think about gym culture, and give you the language to spot the signs in yourself or someone you love.

⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, compulsive exercise, and body image. Take care of yourselves whilst listening.

You can watch the podcast on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app!

Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

Thank you @nightingalehospital for sponsoring the Full of Beans podcast. by @edinformed

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a month ago

London Marathon weekend.

Tomorrow, the streets of London will be full of people doing something extraordinary - and we’ll be cheering every single one of them. For the causes on their backs, the people in their hearts, and the sheer stubbornness of putting one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles.

But this post isn’t just for the runners.

It’s for anyone who sees the finisher photos, celebrations, and medals & feels something that’s tricky to name. For anyone whose relationship with running - or movement, their body, - has been part of a bigger, harder, more complicated story. For anyone whose marathon today was getting out of bed.

We’re not here to demonise exercise. Movement can be joyful, powerful, freeing. We’re here because we know it can sometimes become part of something else - and that the line between the two isn’t always obvious, even to the person crossing it.

So wherever you are tomorrow - on the start line, on the sofa, or somewhere in between - we see you. And we’re proud of you.

Not for what you’ve achieved. For who you are and for who you’re becoming.

#EDInformed #LondonMarathon #TCSLondonMarathon #Running #Marathon taken in London, United Kingdom by @edinformed

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5 months ago

On Monday, we were invited to Parliament for the Eating Disorders APPG roundtable on education - bringing together clinicians, policymakers, educators, charities, and those with lived experience to explore the current landscape.

It was a privilege to be in that room and to share in and learn from the experiences, expertise, and courage of others. A passionate discussion, the nature of which only demonstrated the scope and scale of the challenge at hand.

We were grateful to contribute to the conversation around physical education - where relationships with bodies, food, and movement are shaped, often in full view of others. A space that can be incredibly complex, particularly during puberty, where vulnerability is heightened and teachers and peers play a significant role in modelling attitudes and language - impacting how these are understood and carried forward for life.

PE can reinforce comparison, exclusion, and shame - or create connection, emphasise the joy of movement, and celebrate the human body. It can be something inclusive, varied, and not defined by performance or appearance.

A key takeaway - it’s essential that marginalised voices are afforded not just space, but respect. That diversity of lived experience permeates the fabric of this work - embedded in the infrastructure of change and policy. Not just creating the opportunity for people to speak their truths, but fostering the safety for those truths to be received and translated into action.

Incredibly thankful to @dump_the_scales for the work they continue to do, and to be part of a collective commitment to making better a reality. taken in Houses of Parliament by @edinformed

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5 months ago

So moving to witness the collective call for action at yesterday’s #dumpthescales march, driven by heartbreaking loss, suffering, discrimination, and silencing. And what a privilege to be given the opportunity to speak.

We stood as people who know, have fought, or are fighting something ruthless, relentless, and often invisible.

For ED Informed, it’s the fitness industry we’re here to challenge.

Up to 80% of those with eating disorders struggle with compulsive exercise, and a significant proportion of those dependent on exercise are at high risk of developing an eating disorder. In gyms and fitness spaces, disordered mindsets and behaviours are easily exacerbated, making them extremely high-risk environments for those who are vulnerable.

Despite the risk, there are currently NO robust safeguards to prevent people from becoming unwell, or to protect those who are already struggling from deteriorating further.

People are actively slipping through the cracks. (And for those who heard me speak this yesterday - I can only apologise for the Freudian slip… though arguably, it didn’t make it any less true 💩)

We require an intentional, proactive shift - cultural, systemic, and political - in how we understand and address the failures people with eating disorders are facing across this country. This needs to extend beyond clinical pathways to gyms, schools, and everyday conversations.

If you want to join our campaign to see staff training, screening, and signposting embedded in these spaces, head to the “get involved” tab on our website. Sign the petition, complete the survey, spread the word, and share the message.

Make sure to also check out @38degrees_uk to support the next phase of the @dump_the_scales campaign.

Thank you to every single person who showed up yesterday. Who marched. Who spoke. Who raised a sign. Who came and said hello.

And to @hopevirgo_ and the Dump the Scales team - thank you.

Now let’s get to work!

#EDInformed #EatingDisorders #MentalHealth taken in Parliament Square by @edinformed

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5 months ago

Pick a note, read a note, save a note, send a note.

Dear body, I might not be where I want to be, but I’m certainly not where I was.

🤍

#EDInformed #MentalHealth #Recovery #Healing #DearBody by @edinformed

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5 months ago

We’re excited to introduce Sophie who will be speaking at this year’s Dump the Scales March on 18th April.

Sophie is a final-year dual field nursing student and the lead of @edinformed , a campaign centred on embedding safeguarding measures within gym and fitness environments for those at risk of or struggling with disordered eating and compulsive exercise.

Her work is rooted in her lived experience of an eating disorder and years spent as a competitive athlete. She is driven by a strong sense of justice and a real heart for people, determined that those in hard places see their worth and know their value.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝘞𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥-𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 - 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘥!

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🕙 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 & 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?

• Gather at Trafalgar Square – Nelson’s Column: 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠
• March sets off: 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬 𝗔𝗠
• Arrive at Parliament Square: 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠
• Speeches begin: 𝟭𝟭:𝟭𝟱 𝗔𝗠
• Event ends: 𝟭𝟮:𝟯𝟬–𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Please take a moment to read the key information for the march including accessibility, general and safeguarding information.

- Link in Bio

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁:

• Be there to march with us
• Invite your friends, colleagues, and communities
• Share our graphics
• Need text for newsletters or blogs? Just ask!

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀:

Please help us spread the word about the march by downloading and sharing across your social media, workplace, healthcare setting, school or university, community groups, or public settings.

- Link in Bio

We hope to see you on April 18th 💛

𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴@𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮 by @edinformed

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6 months ago

We know eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness. We know waiting times for support average 3.5 years. Yet we also know early intervention is one of the strongest predictors of recovery.

We know up to 80% of those with eating disorders struggle with compulsive exercise. We know up to 48% of those dependent on exercise are at high risk of developing an eating disorder. We know behaviours can be masked, exacerbated, or overlooked in fitness spaces. And we know there are no robust safeguards in place in these environments to protect those vulnerable or at risk.

YET.

The eating disorder training for gyms and fitness staff that YOU have funded is now in development. The brief has landed with Beat’s Clinical Associate Trainers, and they are now working to bring a CPD-accredited package to life - rooted in clinical expertise and lived experience.

It’s time the fitness industry is recognised as the huge yet overlooked opportunity for early intervention it is. A space that can either support recovery or contribute to harm.

There is a responsibility here. A duty of care. But also a real opportunity.

And it starts with training.

It’s underway!!!

#EDInformed #Fitness #MentalHealth #Training #EatingDisorders by @edinformed

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6 months ago

Five days ago it was announced that the share of NHS spending going to mental health will fall again.

This is despite repeated commitments from government that mental health should receive the same attention and focus as physical health, and that services should be delivered with “parity of esteem.”

Parity of esteem means valuing mental health equally - including in the decisions we make about funding.

Mental health services are already under immense pressure. Demand is rising, waiting lists remain long, and too many people are struggling to access timely support.

If mental health truly matters, and if parity of esteem is more than a slogan, then funding decisions HAVE to reflect that.

We can’t “transform the nation’s mental health” while failing to match ambition with action.

#EDInformed #MentalHealth #Healthcare #NHS #UKGov by @edinformed

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6 months ago

You’re not alone if you open Instagram, catch sight of a billboard, walk down the aisles of a supermarket, and find yourself bombarded with the same messaging: Shrink. Tone. Do more. Be less.

But we’ll let you into a little secret: this is not what you were designed for.

You were never meant to spend your time on earth at war with the very things that make you, you.

Take the rest.
Enjoy the food.
Allow your body to soften and grow.
Eat the dessert, the chocolate, the seconds.
Fill the space.

Be human.

Because human is all you ever need to be - complex, messy, imperfect - and there is so much life waiting for you there.

#EDInformed #DietCulture #SelfCare #Human #MentalHealth by @edinformed

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6 months ago