Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

eating disorders—anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and related disorders—are not illnesses of choice, but rather life-threatening mental disorders;

(b)

anorexia is the third most prevalent chronic illness in adolescent girls after obesity and asthma and has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder;

(c)

one in 20 Australian women has admitted to having suffered an eating disorder; and

(2)

expresses serious concern about recent reports that eating disorders are on the increase, especially among school-aged children;

(3)

condemns the lack of Government funding for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders; and

(4)

urges the Government to:

(a)

convene a national summit on body image to develop a national code of conduct to ensure the media, fashion industry and advertisers portray a healthy and diverse range of men and women; and

(b)

become a signatory to the Worldwide Charter for Action on Eating Disorders, which calls on those responsible for policy to educate and inform the community with programs that:

(i)

de-stigmatise eating disorders and raise awareness of the causes of eating disorders;

(ii)

increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of eating disorders;

(iii)

make available comprehensive information about eating disorder services and resources;

(iv)

connect with the media to provide accurate information on eating disorders and to help shift the culture’s perspective on body image issues and weight and food issues;

(v)

develop and implement effective prevention programs targeting schools and universities;

(vi)

educate and train health care practitioners at all levels in the recognition and treatment of eating disorders to improve the quality of care;

(vii)

provide sufficient specialist services based on regional need;

(viii)

provide people with access to fully-funded, specialised treatment and care; and

(ix)

fund research into eating disorders.

There has been much talk in this chamber over recent months about the obesity crisis. It is important that we do discuss obesity, but sadly the flip side of that issue—that is, eating disorders—has been largely ignored. I would venture it has been irresponsible of the government to focus on one problem without considering the other. It is ironic, but medical professionals are now claiming that national focus on obesity has exacerbated the problem of eating disorders. An article in yesterday’s Sun-Herald revealed that five-year-old children are now being diagnosed with anorexia and that since 2001 there has been a 20 per cent increase in under-18s being hospitalised at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, as a result of anorexia.

Anorexia is the third most prevalent chronic illness in adolescent females in Australia, after obesity and asthma. One in 20 Australian women has admitted to having suffered from an eating disorder. Of course, males too are affected by eating disorders: around 25 per cent of anorexic children are boys. While the federal government has boosted funding for obesity, there is an absence of funding for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. So it is vital that we put eating disorders on the national agenda and start tackling this deadly problem before the situation gets worse.

In August this year I wrote to the Minister for Health and Ageing about the need for increased funding for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The minister did not respond; instead I received a letter from his parliamentary secretary. He wrote:

In Australia, the direct provision and regulation of public mental health services … is the responsibility of the State and Territory Governments.

Eating disorders know no boundaries, and passing the buck will not help Australians who are battling illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia. It will not do anything to help a brave young constituent in my electorate, Sarah Ralph, who has been fighting her eating disorder for over seven years.

I was also disappointed the minister for health ignored another letter I sent him this year in which I urged him to convene a national forum on body image and eating disorders. Although the media and fashion industries often deny they play a role in the development of eating disorders, medical professionals say otherwise. Yes, a lot of factors contribute to the onset of illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia. One medical resource for doctors treating patients with eating disorders states:

Eating disorders are a complex interplay of biopsychosocial factors, including development issues, relationship and family factors, life events, biological vulnerability and socio-cultural influences.

But the growing pressure on young men and women to look a certain way, usually stick thin, is undoubtedly taking its toll—increasingly on school aged children. Dr Rick Kausman of the Australian Medical Association says:

I think there is increasing pressure on kids to grow up much sooner than what might be best for them, and I also think we’ve got caught up in a culture where the way we look is all important, even from a very young age …

So reports that primary school children are wishing they were skinnier and going on starvation diets should not be ignored, especially when, according to a British medical journal, dieting is the greatest risk factor for the development of an eating disorder. There is an urgent need for the government to draw together various bodies, including the media, the fashion industry, advertisers and health and education professionals, to develop a national code of conduct on body image to ensure that young Australians grow up with healthy and diverse role models. We need to encourage our children to grow up loving themselves—not despising themselves because they do not look a certain way. Although the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing responded to my letter, he refused to commit to my proposal for a national forum.

Today I also want to voice my support for the Worldwide Charter for Action on Eating Disorders. The charter was developed by the Academy for Eating Disorders and various other international eating disorder organisations in response to the unmet needs of those living with an eating disorder. It establishes a set of rights for those living with eating disorders and their carers, including the right to communicate with health professionals; the right to comprehensive assessment and treatment planning; the right to accessible, high-quality, fully funded, specialised care; the right to respectful, fully informed, age appropriate, safe levels of care; the right of carers to be informed, valued and respected as a treatment resource; and the right of carers to accessible, appropriate support and education resources.

I hope that Australia will become a signatory to this charter, because at present too many people suffering from eating disorders are not getting the most appropriate treatment for their individual needs. There is a lot of misunderstanding about eating disorders. Many people believe that eating disorders are an illness of choice or a silly phase that teenagers go through. These myths need to be dispelled. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. I call on the Howard government to stop ignoring the growing trend of eating disorders. We need to take action against these illnesses. It is a matter of life and death.

I want to put on record my thanks to Sarah Ralph, a constituent of mine, for bringing this serious issue to my attention and for her brave efforts in coming up to Canberra and speaking about her own situation. It caused her a great deal of pain and suffering to actually come on that day. She was sacked from her job and actually went backwards in her own treatment program. I want to thank Sarah very much for raising awareness about this issue. (Time expired)

See this speech in context