1. Lesson 2
Disordered Eating

2. Learning outcomes
I can talk more about disordered eating/eating disorders
I know what the early signs of an eating disorder are and the importance of getting help as soon as possible
I know the best ways of getting help including online
I can help someone make healthy choices in using the internet to get help 2

3. How we will work together
Can you remember the group agreement we have already talked about? Let’s take a minute to think about it.
If this is the first session it is vital that time is spent in drawing up a group agreement. There is information on this is the MindMate Lessons Guidance. 3

4. Any questions? ? ? ? Any thoughts?
Recap from lesson 1
Any questions? ? ? ? Any thoughts?
Raise any misconceptions or thoughts that arose from the baseline/plenary assessment in lesson one 4

5. Watch the video Image © Granada TV. All Rights Reserved
Play the video from Coronation Street. (1 minute, 47 seconds)
The video shows a mum talking to her daughter who she is worried might have an eating disorder and be over-exercising, she tries to get her to eat.
Then explore the questions on the next slide.
Image © Granada TV. All Rights Reserved 5

6. Bethany
What is Bethany’s Mum worried about? What has made her worry? What does she try to do? What effect do you think she will have and why do you think this is the case? How do you think Bethany is feeling?
There are no right answers to these questions and it is important to ensure that pupils are distanced i.e. talking about the scene rather than themselves. 6

7. Watch the video Image © NHS. Source: YouTube
Show the video
Seek agreement that it important to support someone with disordered eating because:
They can get better
It’s horrible to experience an eating disorder
Image © NHS. Source: YouTube 7

8. What to look out for Be creative!
There are various organisations that have produced information on how to spot problematic eating and over exercising. These are often designed for adults.
- Create a poster/leaflet for your school that would appeal to your friends/other students explaining what the warning signs might be. Where would you put it in school?
- First, agree in your group/pair what you would like it to say.
Be creative!
Remind students to base this on things we have talked about in class, things they have seen in the media etc. rather than talking about themselves. Students will need some craft materials here.
When pupils are thinking about where to put the poster they might balance lots off people seeing it with someone having some privacy when they are looking at it. 8

9. © beat. All Rights Reserved
This is a poster created by beat which can be shown before or after the previous activity. You could give this choice to the pupils as a way on underlining the importance o hearing their voices.
Ask pupils what they think of it, what they like what they don’t. This is a non-identifying way of students thinking about these warning signs. This might prove to be a penny dropping activity.
© beat. All Rights Reserved 9

10. Getting help
People with disordered eating/eating disorders usually need help to recover
The quicker someone is treated the more likely they are to make a full recovery
A good place to start, is by telling someone else
A GP can help access specialist help
The next step is an assessment by a specialist, taking many factors into account. 10

11. Self help
Stick to regular meal times: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start with smaller portions until you get used to eating normally again.
Keep a diary of what you eat and when, and your thoughts and feelings every day. Use this to understand the connections between your thoughts and your feelings.
Try to be honest to yourself and others about your food intake.
Remind yourself that losing more weight will result in more anxiety and depression. Be kind to your body; look after it, don’t punish it.
Make sure you know what a healthy weight is for your height and understand why this is important. You can ask your GP/school nurse.
Do not weigh yourself more than once a week.
Don’t spend time checking your body and looking in the mirror. Nobody is perfect.
Stay close to your family and friends as they can help you Avoid websites that encourage weight loss & thinness.
From Leeds CAMHS website. Highlight that even though people with eating disorders will probably need help from others there are still important things they can do to help. It is much easier to do these things if you have help. 11

12. Safe sources of information
Hand out the beat leaflet and ask for comments. Ask questions such as: Would you show this to someone you were worried about? What would help you to do this etc.? 12

13. Other sources of information
There are lots of places to go on the internet for help with disordered eating/eating disorders.
Some of these are helpful and some are really unhelpful.
How would you help someone who was considering accessing these sites? How would you decide for yourself? Would it be best to seek advice first? In pairs, practise what you would say and do if someone told you they were going to access inappropriate eating disorder websites.
It is important to note that even reputable sites which focus on healthy eating and healthy weight are often unhelpful for young people with disordered eating. The emphasis my well be on reducing calories or fat when some of the pupils in the class may need to increase calories/fat . own and others judgements when choosing websites 13

14. What would happen in school if someone disclosed disordered eating?
Repeat this slide from lesson 1.
Ideally your school will have a policy on disclosure. There is an activity in the final lesson that might result in the group developing or adding to the school’s policy. Complete above for each step that would be taken in your school. Add as much detail as possible. Pupils should be clear and confident that school will respond appropriately as a result. 14

15. What do we know now? Repeat baseline assessment activity.
Repeat the assessment from the first lesson. If you are planning on a further step such as an awareness campaign for school agree what this will be. 15

16. Taking the learning away
You may now feel that you would like to talk to somebody about something that has come up in the lessons or something else that is on your mind.
Create a short plan for this, including:
who
when
& where you could get help
what you would like to tell them 16

17. Where to get help in school
Complete for your school 17

18. Additional resources and help
Talk to your teacher or an adult in school
Talk to your Mum, Dad or someone you trust at home about how you are feeling
If you have them: – Write your worry down and post it in the class worry box – Talk to a peer mediator in your school – Write your worry down on the worry wall on the school’s website
Contact:
im-a-young-person
Where can I go for help? 12