If education played a role in your eating disorder, we want to hear from you

If your time in school, college or university shaped your experience of an eating disorder - whether it made things harder, offered unexpected support, or somewhere in between - this is for you.

We're gathering lived experience stories ahead of an Education Round Table being hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eating Disorders at Westminster in April 2026. And we want to hear from you before that happens.

Why education? Why now?

At The Body Happy Organisation, we work to build cultures of body respect in schools, communities and beyond. We know - from our research, our delivery, and the people we work alongside every day - that education settings have an enormous influence on how children and young people feel about their bodies, their worth, and their place in the world.

That influence isn't always positive. Policies, curriculum choices, everyday practices and the attitudes of peers and the adults around children and young people can contribute to risk, support recovery, or sometimes cause harm without anyone intending it.

The APPG's most recent inquiry into the prevention of eating disorder deaths called for urgent, upstream, whole-system change. We believe education has to be part of that conversation - and the people who have lived through it have some of the most important evidence there is.

We're proud to support this work, led by Dump the Scales CIC, the Secretariat for the APPG on Eating Disorders.

What we're asking for

We are specifically looking for stories connected to education settings - schools, colleges, universities or other learning environments. We're interested in how those environments shaped your experience of eating disorders or disordered eating, and the knock-on impact this had on your learning, wellbeing and future opportunities.

That might include how a school's culture, policies or practices made things harder or offered genuine protection. It might be about how a college responded - or didn't - when you needed support. It might be about the long-term impact on your confidence, attendance or attainment.

You don't need to share specific details about your body or behaviours. We're most interested in the systems, cultures and responses within education - and what they meant for you.

You can share anonymously

Stories can be shared anonymously, and you are welcome to share as much or as little as feels safe. There is no required length and no right or wrong way to do this.

Why it matters

We will be speaking at the round table in April. A staff member and student from one of our pilot schools will also have a voice in the room. The stories we gather will be shared directly with APPG members to inform the discussions and shape the recommendations that follow.

This is a real opportunity for lived experience to influence national policy. By speaking up, you can help highlight what needs to change - and what genuinely helps - so future generations are better supported.

Please note: this is a call for lived experience stories, not a research call for evidence. A separate research call will follow in due course.