Supporting children and young people with eating disorders – with Hannah McKie from SWEDA

SWEDA is a charity which supports people in the South and West of England who are affected by an eating disorder – the individual, friends, family member – anyone who is affected by food, eating or body image.  

We spoke about: 

• Hannah’s background, how SWEDA was set up and the work that it does.  
• How SWEDA can support neurodivergent children and young people and the links between autism and eating disorders in particular. 
• What eating disorders can do to people’s physical and mental / social state of being. 
• Signs that might indicate your child has an eating disorder and how it can feel like having a constant bully in the room with you.  
• How SWEDA can support children and young people with sensory issues and anxiety around eating and food.  
• What to do if parents are worried their child might have an eating disorder and how SWEDA can support children, young people and families.  
• How to approach things when you are worried about an eating disorder, what to say in these circumstances and how best to support your child (and you). 
• How to explain eating disorders to people who might not understand that it is an illness and what your child is going through.  
• How to approach things when children and young children are picky eaters – keeping mealtimes as stress free as possible and finding things that work for your child. 
• How eating disorders affect different genders. 
• What Hannah would say to parents who are worried about their child. 

SWEDA’s website - https://swedauk.org/ 

Facebook @bespokefamily / SWEDA 

Instagram @bespokefamily / sweda_uk_org 

For information about a Bespoke Family Parent Consultation click here: https://www.bespokefamily.co.uk/parent-consultations    

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