Dr Adam Burt’s study stems from a newly published research from Western Sydney University suggesting that 27 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have an eating disorder, compared with 16 per cent in non-Indigenous adults.
In a conversation with NITV Radio, Dr Adam Burt, Lead Researcher of the study explained that an eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that involves an unhealthy relationship with food.
Dr Burt says disadvantage and stress can be key contributors to developing an eating disorder. This is regardless of age, and across various types of eating disorders including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder.
He added that it is vital that people are not only aware of the signs of a possible eating disorder, but also feel comfortable and safe to access support services.
If untreated eating disorders can have serious consequences leading to death and suicide.
Dr Burt is currently undertaking research to design a culturally specific and validated diagnostic tool for eating disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sufferers of eating disorders.
He says such a tool already exists for depression and was designed in partnership with various Indigenous communities and was successfully tested by Aboriginal medical services.
This toolkit is designed to flesh out and treat symptoms of depression in a more culturally safe and more specific way.
His study will develop an eating disorders diagnostic tool that will include questions in Aboriginal English and will involve in-depth discussions with Aboriginal people and communities in order to identify any culturally specific manifestations of eating disorders.
