The Intersection of Digestive Conditions and Eating Disorders

Around one in every twenty Australians has an eating disorder. These are serious mental illnesses characterised by obsessive thoughts about food and body weight and frequently co-occur with a wide range of psychiatric or physical symptoms.

Gastrointestinal (GI) problems are one of the most common consequences of an eating disorder. In fact, according to our guest, Marci Evans, the vast majority of people with an eating disorder experience difficult digestive symptoms or gut disorders.

Marci goes on to examine the features of eating disorders that lead to gastrointestinal disturbances. She describes the difficult and unique challenges health practitioners face when managing functional gut disorders in patients with eating disorders and explores the ways these can be best managed.

Marci identifies as a Food and Body Imager Healer® practising from a Health At Every Size and anti-oppression lens. She has dedicated her career to counselling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor and certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor. In addition to her group private practice, Marci launched an online eating disorders training platform for clinicians in 2015 and co-directs a specialised eating disorder internship at Simmons University. In 2018 she received the Professional Integrity Award from The Behavioural Health Dietetics Practice Group of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has spoken locally and nationally at numerous conferences and media outlets. She loves social media so be sure to connect on Instagram or Facebook or tweet her @marciRD and check out her blog at www.marciRD.com/blog.