Eating Disorders

Food is often associated with enjoyment. You might have a cake for your birthday or go out for a meal to celebrate a happy event. But, sometimes, eating, or even thinking about food can be difficult experiences and stir up complex, distressing emotions.

If you’re constantly thinking about, or controlling what you eat, or feel compelled to make yourself sick, you may be suffering from an eating disorder. These are common and can affect anyone; many well-known people have talked about their eating problems. The important thing to remember is that help is available, and you don’t have to suffer alone.

A sensitive subject like eating disorders needs to be handled delicately, so we kept this in mind as we were creating the course. We followed some teenage characters through their worries, and looked at what possible eating disorders they might be suffering from. There were interactive sections which allowed the learner to go at their own pace as they took in the information.

The main section of the course was designed to provide useful tips. So, we had them as clickable sections on a blackboard in a classroom environment, just like they would be taught at school. This helped keep the learning both relevant and engaging. And the learning doesn’t stop at the end of the course either: there are links to helplines, useful contacts, and an educational toolkit in the blended learning.