New Zealand Eating Issues and Eating Disorders Strategy

The Eating Issues and Eating Disorders Strategy moves New Zealand towards a full continuum of treatment and support, including a greater focus on prevention, access to early intervention and specialist community supports, and a more inclusive approach to family, whānau and carer involvement and support.

The Strategy provides the overall strategic approach and covers:

• our understanding of eating disorders in New Zealand
• research evidence, feedback from targeted engagement, and prevalence and service use data
• current investment and activities underway
• an action-oriented roadmap outlining an initial set of actions across the first 6 to 18 months, alongside future opportunities over the next 5+ years.

Implementing the Strategy will shift New Zealand towards a vision where:

People and their families, whānau and carers are able to access treatment and supports that respond to their unique needs and contexts and are fully included in their own recovery and that of their family and whānau.

Specialist eating disorders workforces, health workforces, and other relevant workforces are trained to confidently understand and respond effectively to eating issues and eating disorders.

There is an eating disorders system of care across the full continuum of treatment and support spanning early intervention through to specialist community and inpatient services. This includes prevention and public health promotion initiatives to minimise and prevent the risk factors associated with developing eating issues and eating disorders.

To support the implementation of the Strategy, Health New Zealand is increasing investment in the eating disorders continuum by over $4 million each year. This will bring the total investment in eating disorders services to over $23 million per year. This new funding package includes ongoing investment to:

• roll out peer support to all regional eating disorders services
• create sustainable, community-based support for families, whānau and carers
• increase the capacity of specialist eating disorders services
• expand prevention and early intervention support.