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(By Kate and Olivia Morrow – Bond University Journalism Students)
With the prevalence of eating disorders affecting adolescents, a local theatre company has produced a play to engage school students about the issue.
The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia’s (HCF) Health Report said there was no way of identifying how people develop an eating disorder as there are many theories.
The Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders’ website said that anorexia nervosa was one of the three most common chronic illnesses for teenage girls in Australia.
Varsity Lakes eating disorder psychologist Dr Peta Stapleton said these particular illnesses were most common among teenage girls aged 14 to 25.
“[Eating disorders] are much more common in females because of the media,” she said.
“I think the biggest myth out there is that it is all about teaching them [patients] how to eat again.
“We are actually talking about all the feelings that are underneath that might have caused it in the first place,” Dr Stapleton said.
Local production company Soapbox Theatre wrote and directed Sophie Is… a play that is centered around a young girl who has just moved to a new school.
Soapbox Theatre performer Sarah McLeod said in the production Sophie tried to change herself because she wanted to be perfect.
“[Changing herself] takes a dark turn and it takes the form of her starting to develop an eating disorder,” Miss McLeod said.
The play was created for male and female high school students in order to promote understanding of these illnesses.
“Our target audience is ultimately young women, but it’s also for boys as well, in order to get that understanding,” she said.
Soapbox Theatre artistic director Jessica Westhead said they hoped Sophie Is… would be performed at most local schools before the end of the year.
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