The Practical Handbook of Eating Difficulties

Over the last 30 years, the prevalence of eating disorders has increased to become a widespread problem across the UK and worldwide. This book offers a comprehensive guide written by people with eating disorders, their families and leading researchers, clinicians and therapists, all aiming to improve understanding of practical ways of helping people with eating disorders to live and thrive in their communities. The handbook covers the important topics of understanding eating difficulties in our society’s context, including the role of social media and the fashion industry, and how health care professionals and voluntary organisations currently support those with an eating disorder. It explores the value of exercise, nutrition, and sleep, and considers support from parents and schools for children, as well as making reasonable accommodations for young people and adults in higher education and the workplace. Particular therapies for stabilisation and recovery are detailed, and a final section sets out examples of creative and arts-based approaches.

Hannah Lewis is a PhD researcher at Queen Mary, University of London where she studies culturally inclusive prevention strategies for eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder—both of which she has lived experience of. Prior to this, Hannah worked in a senior role for a national mental health charity across their research, policy, and practice areas. Here, Hannah championed co-production at a national level, as well as influenced the mental health transformation in schools’ agenda, and with national public health agencies to acknowledge the harm of traditional ‘obesity’ messaging. Mark Hopfenbeck is an anthropologist, assistant professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Visiting Fellow at London South Bank University (LSBU), and Individual Partner at the Collaborating Centre for Values-based Practice in Health and Social Care, St Catherine’s College, Oxford University. For the past 15 years he has been teaching and supporting the implementation of the Open Dialogue approach. He is currently co-investigator on a large-scale programme of research into crisis and continuing mental health care within the NHS (the ODDESSI trial). James Downs is a mental health campaigner and expert by experience in eating disorders. He recently completed a Masters in Psychology and Education at the University of Cambridge focusing on understandings of "resilience" amongst secondary school teachers and pupils. James holds various roles at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and NHS England aimed at improving support for those experiencing mental health problems and eating disorders, and for their carers. He enjoys working as a peer researcher on a number of projects relating to mental health and eating disorders. Dr. Nicole Schnackenberg is a child, community, and educational psychologist, yoga teacher, and yoga therapist. She has lived experience of eating struggles. Nicole divides her time between working as an educational psychologist in Southend, Essex and her position as a trustee of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation. She is also a director of the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance and a trustee of the Give Back Yoga Foundation UK. Nicole has authored books on food and body image struggles: False Bodies, True Selves: Moving Beyond Appearance-Focused Identity Struggles and Returning to the True Self.Isla Parker is a pen name. Isla is a freelance editor and writer who promotes the understanding of health issues and well-being. She undertook a degree in English, and found it interesting to study how literature explores illness. This led to Isla writing a novel about anorexia for teenagers called Size Zero? that is loosely based on her own experience. Isla has co-edited The Practical Handbook of Hearing Voices and The Practical Handbook of Dementia for the publisher PCCS Books. Recently, she has co-edited The Practical Handbook of Eating Difficulties for Pavilion Publishing.