When Imogen Tregenza created the final instalment in her series of artworks portraying her twin sister’s battle with anorexia, remnants of the illness remained.
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Because while the young Ellalong artist wanted to celebrate her sister’s recovery from anorexia nervosa, she also needed to acknowledge its unrelenting grip.
Today marks the start of Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Week and the beginning of a campaign urging Australians to take a pledge and make a commitment to learn to love their bodies.
According to The Butterfly Foundation – the peak body for eating disorders in Australia – almost one in 20 Australians are thought to suffer from this disorder.
And for some this will be life threatening, if not fatal.
Late last week the foundation issued a statement calling for a greater level of vigilance from all Australians, after the NSW Coroner found that anorexia nervosa was a foundational component of a young woman’s suicide.
On August 25, NSW Coroner Mark Douglass found that Alana Goldsmith’s suicide death at 23 was the result of her nine-year struggle with the eating disorder.
“Alana is one of around 1800 Australians that we estimate will die this year in eating disorder-related circumstances,” foundation CEO Christine Morgan said.
“The Coroner findings reflect the disastrous and heartbreaking statistic that 20 per cent of all people suffering an eating disorder will die.”
There are almost a million people living with clinical eating disorders in Australia yet only 22 per cent of those diagnosed are accessing specialist treatment for their illness.
“If we do not take a stand here, and take the necessary steps to address the current malaise, then those devastated and prematurely ended lives are on us, for we have failed them,” the foundation said.
