Jackie Kelly (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have a few issues to raise concerning this private member’s motion on eating disorders, but first I will mention what my research has indicated on the eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia. In the last few decades there has been a notable increase in the incidence of all eating disorders, of which anorexia and bulimia are part. It is, however, uncertain if this is due to an increasing number of people developing the disorders or because of improved recognition, which has led to more cases being diagnosed.

Currently most of the data on the number of people suffering from eating disorders has been gathered by hospital admissions. The number of people admitted represents only a small percentage of all the people affected. It is estimated that eating disorders affect between 0.5 per cent and three per cent of the Australian population. At Westmead, the major hospital in New South Wales for the treatment of anorexia, they have 10 beds and 175 patients on a waiting list, the youngest of whom is eight years old. The Australian government is committed to continued reform and improvement of all mental health policies so that sufferers and their families can receive the best possible care and support available.

Under Australia’s system of federation, the provision of public mental health services, which currently includes anorexia and bulimia, is the responsibility of the states and territories. The Australian government provides funding through the National Mental Health Strategy to support the policy decisions made by the states and territories. In the 2006 federal budget $1.9 billion in new funding was added to improve services for people with mental illness, their families and their carers as part of the Commonwealth government’s commitment to the Council of Australian Governments’ National Action Plan on Mental Health. As part of this package, the Commonwealth government is providing $538 million for the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and GPs initiative through the Medicare Benefits Schedule. This initiative is designed to increase community access to mental health professionals.

The COAG package includes $28 million for the new early intervention service for parents, children and young people. It is anticipated that this program will provide early intervention for primary school children at risk of developing a mental illness, targeting resources and support for groups of children at risk, plus providing support for parenting programs and the provision of information to children, youths and their families. The Commonwealth government’s initiatives include MindMatters, KidsMatter and the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. In addition, the governments’ main health and medical research body, the NHMRC, provides continuing support for research into eating disorders, and since 2000 has awarded $2.25 million towards continued research that investigates eating disorders. As mentioned by the member for Hughes, half a million dollars was recently awarded to the Westmead Children’s Hospital to continue the study of anorexia.

Last Wednesday night I attended the Westmead Millennium Institute’s granting of initiating awards. I have an interest in the grants, as does the member for Greenway and any other member of this House who has ever joined the minister for health on his regular Pollie Pedal. Last year we raised $300,000 to go towards research at the Westmead Millennium Institute. I met two young researchers there who were investigating anorexia. They were discussing how evidence had come to the fore that when children as young as five, seven and eight—as has been mentioned here today—are developing anorexia, the causes were biological and not mental health. A lot of the consequences we are seeing are the consequences of starvation, hormones and hypothermia which happen when you lose such vast amounts of weight. That view has been looked at by Professor Per Sodersten and Dr Cecilia Bergh at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, which the member for Hughes mentioned. Several of my own constituents have gone to Sweden for treatment at this institute, which has a high success rate. The federal government supports overseas treatments that are unavailable in Australia if they are efficacious, cost-effective and life saving.

It is interesting that there is dispute within the scientific community as to whether the cause of eating disorders is biological or psychological. The school of thought that says it is psychological goes along the lines of what all the members here have said today—that dieting and weight preoccupations are used to avoid, or ineffectively cope with, the demands of a new life stage such as adolescence or a new milestone such as the expectations of adult sexuality or breaking up with a partner. Further research needs to be done. This government is funding that. A national talkfest will not help very much. (Time expired)

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