Eating Disorder Support App
If you support people with disordered eating and your services are under strain, you can now provide easy access to reliable information, self-help tips and links to support with the Eating Disorder Support app.
The app is a trusted one-stop-shop for any health, education or care provider in the UK — from NHS organisations to universities, 6th forms, local authorities, health charities, and private mental health practitioners.
Use the app at no cost to provide reliable health and wellbeing information at scale, promote safe self-care, and direct people to available services — all in one safe place. As an optional add-on, you can customise the app for your area or organisation to make local information more accessible and increase your reach.
Why this app?
An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder - and their number has risen sharply during the pandemic. Eating disorders have different causes and can lead to serious health problems - even death.
Early diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes, but long waiting lists for care and gaps in service provision mean that many people with eating disorders don’t get the help and support they so desperately need.
What the app does
The new Eating Disorder Support app makes reliable, evidence-informed information about eating disorders more easily accessible - in one place, even when offline - to:
- Educate people about eating disorders - and explain what to do next when concerned or in crisis
- Promote wellbeing and safe self-care - to help people prevent, address and solve eating problems
- Signpost services and support - to make people aware of useful resources and how to get help
What topics does the app cover?
- About eating disorders: What are eating disorders, what causes eating disorders, what harm can eating disorders cause, eating disorders and feelings, common myths, why is treatment important, and more.
- At-risk: Athletes and dancers, autistic people, children and young people, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+, men and boys, middle age and later life, pregnancy, size divesity, transgender people, and more.
- Life: Family, friends, romantic relationships, unhelpful relationships, social media, school, work, religion and eating disorders, money and benefits, caring for yourself in recovery, managing relapses, and more.
- Self-help: Mind and body, unhelpful thinking, unhelpful behaviours, being kind to yourself, expressing your emotions, self-help books, self-soothing, and more.
- Treatment: Early intervention, assessment, treatment teams, recovery and relapses, talking therapies, social prescribing, medicines, hospital treatment, emergency and crisis care, recovery and relapses, private services.
- Support: Telling someone you have an eating problem, your GP, carer support, support groups, charities and helplines, crisis support.
- Calm zone: How to relax, crafting and DIY, painting and drawing, listening to music, reading for pleasure, films and TV shows, making music, photography, puzzles and challenges, gardening, writing and journaling.
- Supporting others: Supporting someone with an ED, understanding the 'why', starting the conversation, supporting someone from a distance, what to do in a crisis, looking after your own health, advice for parents/teachers/friends/university staff/colleagues/gym staff.
User feedback
"I wanted to let you know the eating disorder support app is so amazing. There is so much information, coping strategies, advice for tackling lots of situations and so much information in one place, and it’s so well presented and easily accessible. It has a wealth of information in one place that covers so many recovery tools, wellbeing tools, ideas for practical things to make and have to ride the wave, and also help for carers/ relatives. It’s clear a lot of thought and expertise has gone into it. I feel it’s unique and it is a one-stop-shop for so much information and support".
Eating Disorder Service User
"This app is extremely useful either as a person with an ED or for anyone wishing to learn how to best support someone with an ED. It is packed full of useful information, easy to navigate and accessible. As a teacher I would say it is an excellent resource for supporting young people and helping to identify early signs. So useful to have so much information all in one place."
H.T., teacher
Local information and customisation
Local area providers can customise the app with an optional homepage and local service directory. Make people more aware of available support in your area and relieve avoidable service pressure.
CUSTOMISE APPS FOR YOUR LOCAL AREA
Who has developed the app?
The Eating Disorder Support App was developed in collaboration between the Bristol Health Partners Eating Disorders Health Information Team (EDHIT) and Expert Self Care, and co-produced with public contributors, topic experts, charities and other partners, including:
Quality assurance
The app bears the Patient Information Forum ‘PIF Tick’, the UK’s quality mark for reliable and trusted health information.
Where to download
The app is FREE to download for iPhone on the Apple App Store and for Android on Google Play.
Get in touch
Please contact us if you're interested in local customisation, need more information, or have questions.
Page last reviewed: 31 May 2024