Health Professional Report

<span class="grab-post-meta-value id-201 key-next_steps"><h3>NEXT STEPS</h3>
Help the person access appropriate treatment (go to Health Pathways). Consider the person’s eating disorder or mental health treatment needs, medical or psychiatric treatment, or emergency care needs.
<h4>Disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders occur in adults of all genders, ages, and body sizes</h4>
Asking help for problems with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction takes considerable courage. There is significant stigma associated with eating disorders and with high weight (obesity) in the community and among health professionals. People who do not fit the stereotypical picture of an eating disorder may fear that their concerns will not be taken seriously or that they are not 'sick enough' to get help. It is imperative that the person's concerns are not dismissed. Convey to the person that you recognise that their concerns reflect serious health problems that require evidence-based treatment. People should not be left to feel as though they should be strong enough to fix their problems themselves through sheer willpower.
<h4>People experience high levels of shame or embarrassment about disordered eating and body dissatisfaction</h4>
This report facilitates self-disclosure by providing a tool for the person to share their concerns. Further clarification of concerns will be required. It is crucial that health professionals take a non-judgemental stance and offer support to the person and allow them time to open up. Express to the person that they are not to blame for their concerns; the causes of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction are multifactorial and there are biological and psychosocial contributors.
<h4>People may be in two minds about seeking help or making changes</h4>
It is common for people to be hesitant about seeking help for mental health issues. This is especially the case for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction as some symptoms and behaviours in which people engage may be perceived to serve a positive or functional purpose. People often fear losing control, having to let go of coping strategies, and that treatment will cause weight gain. Communicate an understanding of the person's difficulties in taking steps to seek help under these circumstances.
<h4>Past help seeking experiences may have been negative and people may have received unhelpful responses from health professionals</h4>
Negative experiences can delay or prevent treatment seeking. Along with dismissing concerns as not being serious, one of the most unhelpful responses people with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction can receive is to be directed towards weight management services. This is not a suitable option for people with mental health concerns and is likely to exacerbate their problems. The person needs to be made aware of the importance of engaging in evidence-based treatment for their concerns. Convey to the person the need to seek treatment at any stage, whether it is an early intervention type approach or whether the person has been struggling with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction for many years. Offer hope that treatment for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction can be effective.

</span>

This report is produced by Reach Out and Recover (ROAR), an online tool for adults who are experiencing disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. The Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders designed ROAR in consultation with experts in the field and with consumers. It aims to: assist adults to identify problems with eating and body concerns; support and promote consumer help seeking; facilitate consumer-health professional collaboration; and guide health professional treatment responses.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

PRINT REPORT AS PDF

View PERSONAL ROAR Report

Immediate Actions

Clarify the problem

What is the nature and extent of the person’s disordered eating and body dissatisfaction and level of distress?
Does the person meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder?

Consider medical and mental health risk

Does the person have associated medical or mental health risks that require immediate or emergency care?
Conduct a medical review including investigations to determine medial risk
Go to www.ceed.org.au for eating disorder and medical risk assessment guidelines

NEXT STEPS

Help the person access appropriate treatment (go to Health Pathways). Consider the person’s eating disorder or mental health treatment needs, medical or psychiatric treatment, or emergency care needs.

Disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders occur in adults of all genders, ages, and body sizes

Asking help for problems with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction takes considerable courage. There is significant stigma associated with eating disorders and with high weight (obesity) in the community and among health professionals. People who do not fit the stereotypical picture of an eating disorder may fear that their concerns will not be taken seriously or that they are not ‘sick enough’ to get help. It is imperative that the person’s concerns are not dismissed. Convey to the person that you recognise that their concerns reflect serious health problems that require evidence-based treatment. People should not be left to feel as though they should be strong enough to fix their problems themselves through sheer willpower.

People experience high levels of shame or embarrassment about disordered eating and body dissatisfaction

This report facilitates self-disclosure by providing a tool for the person to share their concerns. Further clarification of concerns will be required. It is crucial that health professionals take a non-judgemental stance and offer support to the person and allow them time to open up. Express to the person that they are not to blame for their concerns; the causes of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction are multifactorial and there are biological and psychosocial contributors.

People may be in two minds about seeking help or making changes

It is common for people to be hesitant about seeking help for mental health issues. This is especially the case for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction as some symptoms and behaviours in which people engage may be perceived to serve a positive or functional purpose. People often fear losing control, having to let go of coping strategies, and that treatment will cause weight gain. Communicate an understanding of the person’s difficulties in taking steps to seek help under these circumstances.

Past help seeking experiences may have been negative and people may have received unhelpful responses from health professionals

Negative experiences can delay or prevent treatment seeking. Along with dismissing concerns as not being serious, one of the most unhelpful responses people with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction can receive is to be directed towards weight management services. This is not a suitable option for people with mental health concerns and is likely to exacerbate their problems. The person needs to be made aware of the importance of engaging in evidence-based treatment for their concerns. Convey to the person the need to seek treatment at any stage, whether it is an early intervention type approach or whether the person has been struggling with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction for many years. Offer hope that treatment for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction can be effective.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

PRINT REPORT AS PDF

View PERSONAL ROAR Report

These questions are about your eating and body image over the last few weeks
DIETING AND EATING RESTRICTION BEHAVIOURS
I have been trying to limit the amount of food I eat to influence my weight, shape, or size	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I have hardly eaten anything at all for periods of time (e.g., fasted or skipped meals), to influence my weight, shape or size	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I have tried to exclude (e.g., not eat) foods that I like in order to influence my weight, shape, or size	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I have followed strict food rules or dieting plans that dictate what, when, and/or how much to eat to influence my weight, shape, or size	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
EATING BEHAVIOURS
I have eaten really large amounts of food in one go (what others would think is unusually large)	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I feel totally unable to control my urges to eat. I have a fear of not being able to stop eating voluntarily	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I have eaten really large amounts of food in one go (unusually large) and felt that I could not stop eating or control what or how much I was eating	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
THOUGHTS ABOUT EATING
I feel like food, eating, and/or trying to control my eating rules my life	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
Controlling what, and how much I eat is very important for how I think and feel about myself as a person	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I have strong feelings of guilt during or after eating	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
BODY IMAGE
I am dissatisfied with my weight, shape, or size	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I wish I were thinner/smaller	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I wish I were more muscular	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
THOUGHTS ABOUT BODY IMAGE
My weight, body shape, or size is very important for how I think and feel about myself as a person	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I am afraid of gaining weight or becoming fat	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I am afraid of losing weight or becoming thin	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
Thinking about the weight, shape, or muscularity of my body stops me from concentrating	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
To be in control of my life, I need to control my weight, shape, or size	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
BEHAVIOURS TO CONTROL WEIGHT, SHAPE, AND BODY SIZE
I have tried to control my weight, shape, or size by making myself sick (vomit)	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I have tried to control my weight, shape, or size by using laxatives and/or diuretics	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I have tried to control or change my weight, shape, or size by using pills or supplements (i.e., protein powders, meal replacements)	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
I exercise specifically to improve my body shape or size and/or to try to control my weight	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I feel extremely guilty if I miss an exercise session	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I continued to exercise despite illness or injury, or if exercise interfered with important activities	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I have tried to control or change my shape, or size by using anabolic steroids	Never Once but more than ten years aga Sometimes Most or all of the time

These questions are about the impact of your eating and body concerns on your health and wellbeing over the past few weeks.
PHYSICAL WELLBEING
Made you feel physically unwell (e.g., dizzy, faint, weak, fatigued or drained)?	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Resulted in rapid weight loss or gain, or ups and downs in weight	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made you feel very cold, or have cold hands and feet	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Caused you problems in looking after another health problem	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Made you worried	Not at all Somewhat Mostly Very
Made you feel guilty or ashamed	Not at all Somewhat Mostly Very
Made you feel worse (bad / critical) about yourself	Not at all Somewhat Mostly Very
Made you feel distressed	Not at all Somewhat Mostly Very
Made you feel different or isolated from other people	Not at all Somewhat Mostly Very
Made you use to drugs or alcohol to cope	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
RELATIONSHIPS
Caused problems with your relationships with others	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made you feel misunderstood by others	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made you put off or avoid connecting with friends or family	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
ENJOYING AND PARTICIPATING IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Got in the way of doing things you used to enjoy	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made it difficult for you to eat with others	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Taken time from other important everyday activities or plans	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made it difficult to concentrate	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Interfered with your work / study performance	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Made things difficult for you financially	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time
Caused problems with being able to take good care of yourself	Never Rarely Sometimes Most or all of the time

These questions are about how you feel about seeking help and making changes. Making changes means reducing dieting and restriction, binge eating and overeating, exercise and other behaviors used to control weight, shape and size.
THOUGHTS ABOUT MAKING CHANGE
How ready are you make changes in your eating and body concerns?	Not ready Unsure Ready to change Trying to change
How important is it for you to change?	Not at all important Somewhat important Moderately important Very important
How confident are you in your ability to change?	Not at all confident Somewhat confident Moderately confident Very confident
FEELINGS ABOUT SEEKING HELP
I worry that people would think less of me if they knew I was getting help for eating and body concerns	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I worry that health professionals would judge me if I revealed my eating and body concerns	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
I would feel like there was something wrong with me if I got help for my eating and body concerns	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
If I got help for my eating and body concerns I would be afraid of losing control	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me
If I got help for my eating and body concerns I would be worried that I will feel too uncomfortable	Not at all true for me Somewhat true for me Mostly true for me Very true for me