All about EAT (Eating Awareness Team)

The Caretakers Cottage is situated diagonally opposite to the new Art Gallery. It's an old, small weatherboard house that has a pervading sense of calm and peacefulness … and discretion. It's a place you feel safe in.

Rachel Lattimore is the Youth Co-ordinator there - she has a great sense of humour, she's passionate about her job, she's completely genuine and, most importantly, she really knows her stuff.

Caretakers Cottage Here's a few of the things she had to say that gave us pause for thought:

Not everyone has an eating disorder but can still be at risk
No. 1 Priority - if you know you're worrying about your body image too much, GET HELP NOW. The Eating Awareness team is friendly, informal, confidential and non-threatening. You can take two or three friends, go by yourself … or even in a crowd! Just phone up and make an appointment.
How do you know if you're obsessing about your body image? Basically, you need to be concerned when it becomes more important than who you are and how your day's going.
It's incredibly time-consuming having to focus on your body all the time. Take a moment to reflect on what everyone else is doing while you're at home obsessing - they're living life and having fun!
People say they're 'feeling fat'. FAT is NOT a feeling! Ask yourself, what am I truly feeling. Also - what are you using food for if you're covering something up?
Practise critical thinking so far as advertising goes. None of those models are real … they're all airbrushed, airbrushed, airbrushed … they're simply not real and for us to try and attain the way they look is totally UNREALISTIC. Think critically. Really look at these adverts and ask yourself what are they trying to achieve here.

PLEASE - if you feel any concern AT ALL and want to talk to someone - contact the Eating Awareness Team right now on: 03 366 7725 or 0800 690 233

Still not sure?

Well, here's a checklist of the Danger Signals/ Warning Signs - known as Red Flags - for you to have a think about. Do you:

Constantly feel bad or worried about your body?
Perceive thinness as a way to happiness and fat equalling failure?
Constantly criticise the way your body looks and obsess about it all day and wonder what other people are thinking about you all the time?
Consistently eat and never feel full (empty pit syndrome)?
Consistently eat even though you're not at all hungry?
Have an eating style that controls the whole family?
Regularly sneak or hoard food?
Habitually cover your body with baggy clothing?
Experience unexplained rapid weight gain or loss?
Feel ashamed about your body?
Persist in self-criticism and negative self-talk?
Have a perfectionist attitude that creates inflexible behaviour?
Frequently feel sadness along with crying and irritability?

Further Info

EAT (Eating Awareness Team) - Support Information And Referral for Food and Body Image Issues.

Caretakers Cottage
325 Montreal Street
Christchurch
Tel: (03) 366 7725
Freephone: 0800 690 233

Drop in times:

Monday and Thursday: 9am to 2pm.

Tuesday and Wednesday: 9am to 12pm.

EDEN

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All about EAT (Eating Awareness Team)

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