InsideOut Institute eClinic media kit

EMBARGOED: 12:01AM AEST, THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025

CANBERRA, Thursday, July 24, 2025 – In a landmark move set to transform eating disorder treatment in Australia, MPs, clinicians, celebrities, patients and carers will gather at Parliament House today, to launch the world’s-first, free, national eClinic dedicated to these complex illnesses.

 

Developed by Australia’s leading authority on eating disorder research, the InsideOut Institute, in partnership with the Sydney Local Health District, the new eClinic – eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au –
offers evidence-based, self-paced programs for Australians living with eating disorders, their carers’, and healthcare professionals.

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According to Clinical Psychologist and InsideOut Institute Director, Professor Sarah Maguire OAM, Sydney, eating disorders are complex, serious illnesses with devastating psychological, physical and social impacts, and are on the rise.1,2 Despite being treatable,4,5 they remain a growing public health concern.3-5 Yet stigma, shame, limited access to specialised services, and long wait times continue to prevent many people from seeking timely support.6,7

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“Early detection and treatment is critical to improving outcomes for people living with eating disorders.8

 

“Yet many Australians face major barriers  stigma, limited access, long wait times and a highly fragmented and costly system, with no obvious, or effective entry point,” said Prof Maguire.

 

“Many people, and their carers’ don’t know where, when, or how to access help.9

 

“The Inside Out eClinic was designed by clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience to break down barriers to accessing high-quality, flexible care,” Prof Maguire said.

 

“The eClinic acts as a front door to the health system, delivering free, evidence-based treatment at scale.

 

“It makes expert support accessible to everyone, especially those living in rural and under-served communities,” said Prof Maguire.

 

Former AFL star and mental health advocate, Brock McLean, Brisbane, mounted a private battle with bulimia nervosa for more than four years. Now in recovery, Brock is using his platform to challenge stigma, particularly around men’s mental health and eating disorders. His disordered eating, which began during his elite sporting career, and continued beyond retirement, was closely linked with co-occurring mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety.

 

His experience mirrors the struggle many Australians living with an eating disorder face: delayed diagnosis, limited access to care, and a lack of services reflecting the diversity of those affected.

 

“The biggest challenge was admitting I needed help. But once I did, everything changed,” Brock said.

 

“The eClinic will break down huge barriers – especially cost and access. It will save lives.”

 

Brock is now a proud ambassador for the IOI eClinic and a passionate advocate for inclusive, early intervention approaches to treatment. Living with his wife Stephanie and young daughters Bonnie and Camille in Brisbane, he describes this new chapter of his life as his “happiest and healthiest”.

 

Currently, only about one in five of people living with an eating disorder receive treatment. Delays in accessing care can stretch to up to 10 years, depending on the type of disorder, 6,10-12 Clinical Psychologist, InsideOut Postdoctoral Research Associate and eClinic Research and Evaluation lead, Dr Sarah Barakat, Sydney, explained.

 

Those living with lesser-known conditions, such as binge eating disorder, are often under-recognised by healthcare professionals, while concerningly, those with bulimia nervosa rarely receive treatment for their eating disorders at all.6

 

“Delays are fuelled, in part, by outdated assumptions about who develops an eating disorder or who they affect, often reinforced by bias that eating disorders only occur in young, underweight females,”
Dr Barakat said.

 

“Digital, on-demand tools like the eClinic have the power to break down barriers and deliver timely, inclusive care to those in need.

 

“Our research reveals just 10 sessions of our online therapy can be as effective as 20 in-person sessions,13 highlighting the potential for digital solutions to close the treatment gap,” said Dr Barakat.

 

Australian author, comedian, and broadcaster, Lucinda Price, aka ‘Froomes’, battled anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder for more than four years, before seeking help in 2020, after enduring severe physical, mental and social tolls. Like many Australians, Lucinda faced long wait times to access the urgent support she needed. Fortunately, one specialist she couldn’t see, suggested the InsideOut Institute’s Binge Eating eTherapy (BEeT) program – a flexible, self-paced treatment for binge eating and bulimia nervosa. Lucinda became one of its first trial participants.

 

“During the 12-week program, my approach to food shifted dramatically. It felt like I was both the subject and the witness, observing changes in my behaviour and thinking patterns.

 

“When I finished the program, I felt completely different. I was lucky to have found the trial. It played a huge role in rewiring my brain,” Lucinda said.

 

“I used to spend all day, every day, thinking about food. Now, that mental space has been replaced with this feeling that I can’t believe how different and happy I feel.”

 

Now seven years into recovery, Lucinda is using her experience for good.

 

"I'm proud to be an InsideOut eClinic ambassador because it was a pivotal stepping stone in my recovery.

 

“The more access Australians have to treatment, the better,” said Lucinda.

 

According to Executive Director, Eating Disorders Families Australia, Jane Rowan, Brisbane, an eating disorder is not a choice. It is a serious and complex mental illness 14 that can affect anyone,15 and potentially lead to permanent physical complications.15

 

“An eating disorder can pervade nearly every aspect of a person’s life,16  and cause significant distress for their family, carers, partners, and friends.17

 

“Eating disorders are on the rise in Australia, with disordered eating increasing by 21 per cent over the past 11 years.1 Yet despite this rise, few people seek treatment, highlighting an urgent, unmet need for early intervention and improved access to care,” said Ms Rowan.

 

“The eating disorders community wholeheartedly supports the official launch of the IOI eClinic.
We welcome the enhanced access to care, and the transformative treatment outcomes this platform promises to deliver.”

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About the eClinic launch

 

Those officiating at the IOI eClinic launch at Parliament House, Canberra, this morning include:

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• Clinical Psychologist and Director of the IOI, Prof Sarah Maguire OAM, Sydney;

• Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, The Hon. Emma McBride MP, Central Coast NSW;

• Former AFL player, mental health advocate and coach, and IOI eClinic Ambassador, Brock Mclean, Brisbane;

• Author, comedian, broadcaster and internet personality who overcame binge eating disorder through the IOI’s eClinic, Lucinda Price, Sydney;

• Executive Director, Eating Disorders Families Australia, Jane Rowan, Brisbane.
   

​Additional attendees include Independent Senator for the ACT, and former professional rugby union player, David Pocock, Canberra; clinicians, other stakeholders patients and carers.   ​

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About the eClinic

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The InsideOut Institute’s eClinic is Australia’s first free, fully online, national treatment hub for eating disorders. It offers flexible, self-paced programs, including BEeT for binge eating and bulimia nervosa, SkillED for a wider range of eating disorder symptoms, SupportED for carers, and a Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Hub. By removing traditional barriers to care, the eClinic ensures people living with eating disorders can access vital support when they need it most, regardless of their postcode, socio-economic status, or cultural background.

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To access the IOI eClinic, and learn more, head to eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au.

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If you suspect you, or a loved one, may be living with an eating disorder, speak to your local healthcare practitioner without delay, or head to insideoutinstitute.org.au to complete an online screener and assessment, and to access more information and professional support.

 

Australian professional patient support services offering 24/7 helpline services include:

• Butterfly National Helpline: 1800 334 673

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

• LifeLine: 13 11 14

• Men’s Line Australia: 1300 78 99 78

• Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800

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