In today’s digital society, children are bombarded with images of supposed perfection. According to recent statistics from the NHS, the struggle with body image and food among young people has surged alarmingly in recent years, with children as young as six years old being diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Behind these numbers lie stories of silent battles, where young minds grapple with complex emotions and societal pressures that often remain unseen and misunderstood.

In today’s episode of the Family Health Podcast, we chat with Olivia, a body image coach and Pernille, Founder and CEO of MindBlossom about eating disorders. 

This episode comes with a gentle warning that both Olivia and Pernille share their own personal struggles with eating disorders as well as talking to us more generally about what might be going on in a young person's mind that might drive them towards an eating disorder and those sometimes subtle signs that your child might be struggling.

Olivia Bowden is Founder of Body Image Coach, supporting eating disorders and BDD in schools, click here to find out more about her work.

Olivia’s A-Z online free self help platform Dear Heart Column can be accessed here if you need support with general life difficulties.

Find Olivia’s self-help books here at Front Door Publishing 

Connect with Pernille here on LinkedIn

Pernille’s company Mind Blossom which strives to prevent and combat mental illness through mental health education and fostering community support. Find out more here

Learn more about Pernille and her professional services here on her website.

If you would like to learn more about Pernille’s research click here and about her scholarly publications here.

For more information about the different types of eating disorders and links to useful resources, check out the NHS information page.

See all the resources at Beat Eating Disorders charity 

A full guide to CAMHS services can be found at Young Minds mental health support organisation.

Listen to Molly Forbes podcast on Childrens’ Body Image

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