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11. ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
Eating Disorders Queensland (EDQ) places a great deal of value on our relationships with other service providers within the sector. Community education, advocacy and social change are all part of Eating Disorders Queensland’s (EDQ) commitment to preventing the development of eating disorders and encouraging early access to the appropriate treatment and support. This includes:
• Taking part in mental health forums and events. • Making educational visits to schools. • Attending and presenting at conferences. • Media appearances.
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• Guest speaking at forums. • Contributing to professional working groups. • Holding public awareness events on a regular basis. • Lobbying policy makers and governments.
Social media is an important part of EDQ's approach to advocacy and social change. We maintain an active presence on social media and online platforms, ensuring our content targets a range of audiences. We undertake regular online awareness and advocacy campaigns, using social media to reach a wide audience, prompt discussion, and ideally mobilise change.
84. Social change efforts must be a core component of service delivery.
This is a significant and unique component of a feminist approach to practice. While feminism is committed to the provision of high-quality direct services to clients, there is also an acknowledgement that efforts are required at all levels of society – individual, familial, community, socio-cultural, political and structural. As a result, feminist services are committed to directing their efforts to each of these areas of change in recognition of the interconnectedness between individual activities and societal structures 142 .
A distinguishing characteristics of the feminist approach is its recognition of the social, political, and economic forces that constitute the context in which eating problems among women (sic) are prevalent. Helping individual women (sic) resolve their problems with food and weight is important, but equally important are addressing and changing the broader social context 143 .
85. Focus on early intervention and prevention.
Prevention programs present options for change in the social context. The politics of primary prevention, as well as successful therapy and recovery, require that we challenge major assumptions and values of our culture, recognise the depth and variety of needs related to eating disorders, and promote an understanding of the problem 144 .
To reduce the incidence of eating disorders, early intervention and prevention efforts are critical 145 . This requires education in schools and the community more generally. It also requires significant advocacy to government and policy makers so that the broader social dynamics that contribute to eating disorders can be addressed. Most early intervention programs aim to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors for individuals by targeting the early signs and symptoms of eating disorders 146 .
While this is important work, these prevention programs often fail to look at the broader social and systemic factors that contribute to the culture of eating disorders in society and the ways in which eating disorders can be prevented. There is often little recognition of the culture of dieting, poor nutrition and unrealistic body ideals providing an environment conductive to the development of eating disorders, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction 147 .
This is an important issue given that there is now widespread acknowledgement that societal factors, such as cultural standards, personal relationships, and community attitudes, play an important role in the prevention or heightened risk for the development of eating disorders, in early intervention and in support for people who have the illness 148 .
86. Empower people to find their voice.
Research suggests that early intervention and prevention programs that focus on developing a sense of personal power can prevent the development of eating disorders and ameliorate body image issues 149 .
One of the effective ways of developing personal empowerment is to provide opportunities for those with eating disorders and their carers / key supports to share their stories 150 . This is also an effective way of achieving change by raising awareness of these issues through hearing the stories of those impacted. It is also important that we ensure those more marginalised stories are heard. Therapists and clients should consider how eating disorder-related activism can be incorporated as a part of their healing process to reduce further symptom development 151 .
87. Advocate with intention.
Advocacy efforts should be intentional with a clear focus on the quality of the message and the intended audience. It is important to identify the barriers to accessing services for more marginalised clients and to lobby for change in these areas.
Advocacy must be targeted to each level of influence including individuals, the broader community, policy makers and government. This is a fundamental component of feminist and trauma informed practice. Dialogue should be promoted to create conversations and awareness of eating disorders.
It is also important to note that advocacy work must include a willingness to speak up and advocate for issues of justice when they are first identified. Proactive change includes taking a leadership role in the many injustices in society and being willing to act first rather than when the issues is publicly palatable. This is a key component of EDQ’s commitment to feminist practice and EDQ has a long history of advocating for justice for all in society.
