Eating Disorders Training
Understand Common Eating Disorders
Develop Active Listening Skills
Learn How to Approach Conversations
Empower Managers
Eating Disorders Training
Eating disorders can affect anyone, including employees, students, and professionals across every sector. Without awareness, the signs are often missed until someone is already struggling.
PMAC’s Eating Disorders Awareness Training helps organisations recognise early warning signs, respond with confidence, and create safer, more supportive environments.
Our expert-led sessions give participants the knowledge and practical tools needed to support wellbeing and guide individuals towards the right help.
Course Highlights
✔ Develop your awareness and understanding of a number of eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, bing-eating disorder, EDNOS, OSFED.
✔ Help identify symptoms of eating disorders in others.
✔ Help you understand the impact of eating disorders on the individual and the workplace, and steps to help manage staff.
✔ Help you develop active listening skills in order to provide emotional support to colleagues struggling with an eating disorder.
✔ Gain an insight into support options available and where to find them.
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What You Will Gain
✔ Increased understanding and supporting of eating disorders
✔ Psychologically informed training
✔ Management and employee training
✔ Clear workplace signposting strategies
✔ Reduced stigma across teams
Delivered by Psychological Professionals
Our eating disorders training is delivered by our in-house trainers who have extensive psychological experience.
✔ Registered with BACP.
✔ MSc or BSc in Psychology or Organisational Psychology.
✔ Over 15 years experience delivering across a variety of industries including education, NHS, finance, manufacturing, tech, hospitality, law enforcement and local authorities.
✔ Continuous CPD and research to ensure content is relevant and up to date.
What is Eating Disorders Awareness Training?
Eating Disorders Awareness Training helps people recognise the signs of eating disorders and respond with understanding and confidence. Many individuals struggle in silence, and the early warning signs can easily go unnoticed without the right knowledge.
This training introduces the different types of eating disorders, the psychological and physical impact they can have, and the factors that may contribute to their development. Participants also learn how to approach supportive conversations, reduce stigma, and guide someone towards appropriate support.
By building awareness and empathy, organisations can create environments where people feel safer speaking up and accessing help when they need it.
Why Eating Disorders Awareness Training Matters
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that often remain hidden behind everyday routines. Someone may appear to be coping on the surface while quietly struggling with their relationship with food, body image, or control. Without awareness, we can easily miss these signs.
Training helps people recognise when something may not be right and gives them the confidence to respond with care rather than uncertainty. A simple, compassionate conversation can make an enormous difference to someone who feels alone or misunderstood.
For organisations, awareness is also about creating a culture where wellbeing is taken seriously. When people feel safe to speak about their struggles and know they will be met with understanding, it becomes far easier for them to seek support earlier.
Our Eating Disorders Awareness Training gives teams the knowledge, empathy, and practical tools needed to notice concerns sooner, support one another, and build environments where people feel genuinely seen and supported.
Eating Disorders in the Workplace
Eating disorders don’t stop at the workplace door. Many people continue to work, study, and meet daily responsibilities while quietly struggling with disordered eating or an unhealthy relationship with food and body image.
Workplaces can sometimes intensify these challenges. Stress, perfectionism, pressure to perform, or comments about appearance and dieting can all influence how someone feels about themselves. For individuals who are already vulnerable, these pressures may deepen existing struggles.
Without awareness, the signs may be overlooked or misunderstood. Changes in behaviour, mood, or eating habits might be dismissed as stress or workload.
Eating Disorders Awareness Training helps managers and teams recognise potential warning signs and respond with sensitivity.
Who Is This Training For?
Eating disorders can affect people across all ages, professions, and communities. This training is designed for organisations and individuals who want to better understand eating disorders and feel more confident supporting those who may be struggling.
It is particularly valuable for:
Workplaces – Managers, HR teams, and employees who want to recognise warning signs, support colleagues, and build a culture where staff wellbeing is taken seriously.
Schools, Colleges and Universities – Teachers, pastoral staff, safeguarding leads, and student support teams who may notice changes in students’ behaviour, eating patterns, or emotional wellbeing.
Healthcare and Support Professionals – Those working in counselling, occupational health, wellbeing services, or support roles who want to deepen their understanding of eating disorders and appropriate responses.
Community and Voluntary Organisations – Staff and volunteers who support vulnerable individuals and want the knowledge to respond with care and confidence.
What Participants Will Learn
Our focus is on building both awareness and confidence so that individuals feel better prepared to respond when concerns arise.
You will learn:
✔ How eating disorders develop and why they can be difficult to recognise
✔ The early warning signs and behavioural changes that may signal someone is struggling
✔ The psychological and physical impact of eating disorders
✔ Common myths and misconceptions that can prevent people from seeking help
✔ How to approach supportive, non-judgemental conversations
✔ When and how to signpost someone towards professional support
Types of Eating Disorders We Cover
Eating disorders can take many different forms, and each person’s experience is unique. This training introduces the most recognised eating disorders while helping participants understand that disordered eating behaviours can appear in many ways.
During our sessions, we explore:
Anorexia Nervosa: characterised by severe restriction of food intake, intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted body image.
Bulimia Nervosa: involving cycles of binge eating followed by behaviours such as purging or excessive exercise.
Binge Eating Disorder: episodes of consuming large amounts of food, often accompanied by feelings of distress or loss of control.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): limited food intake that is not related to body image but may stem from sensory sensitivities, fear of choking, or lack of interest in eating.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED): patterns of disordered eating that may not meet the full criteria of other diagnoses but can still have a serious impact on wellbeing.
Understanding these conditions can help you and your teams recognise that eating disorders do not always look the same from person to person.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the training, you will:
✔ Develop a clearer understanding of different eating disorders and their impact
✔ Feel more confident recognising potential warning signs
✔ Understand the importance of early awareness and compassionate responses
✔ Learn how to approach supportive conversations in a sensitive way
✔ Know how to guide someone towards appropriate professional support
✔ Contribute to creating environments where people feel safer speaking about their struggles
These outcomes help organisations build cultures where mental health is taken seriously and individuals feel supported rather than overlooked.
Our Training Format and Delivery Options
We understand that every organisation works differently, which is why our Eating Disorders Awareness Training can be delivered in flexible formats to suit your team, schedule, and environment.
Our training can be delivered as:
Live online sessions – Interactive workshops delivered via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, allowing teams to join from different locations while still engaging in discussion and learning together.
In-person workshops – Face-to-face sessions delivered at your organisation, creating space for open conversation and deeper engagement with the topic.
Half-day or full-day training – Depending on the level of depth your organisation would like to explore.
Tailored sessions – We can adapt the training to reflect the specific challenges and responsibilities within your sector.
Each session is designed to be engaging, practical, and safe for discussion. We encourage participants to ask questions, reflect on real-world scenarios, and build the confidence needed to support others with empathy and understanding.
Why Choose PMAC for Eating Disorders Training?
When you choose PMAC, you’re choosing training that treats eating disorders with the care, sensitivity, and expertise they deserve.
Our sessions are delivered by experienced mental health professionals who understand how complex and personal eating disorders can be. Rather than simply sharing information, we focus on helping people feel confident responding to real situations with compassion and clarity.
What makes PMAC’s training different:
Expert-led sessions delivered by experienced mental health professionals
A compassionate, human approach that prioritises empathy and understanding
Evidence-informed content grounded in current mental health research
Practical guidance participants can apply immediately in their workplace or community
A safe learning environment where difficult topics can be discussed openly and respectfully
Most importantly, our training reminds participants that small moments of awareness and kindness can make a real difference. When people feel equipped to recognise concerns and start supportive conversations, organisations become places where individuals feel safer asking for help.
FAQ's
Eating Disorders Awareness Training helps individuals and organisations recognise the signs of eating disorders and understand how to respond with care and sensitivity. The training explores different types of eating disorders, common misconceptions, and the emotional and physical impact these conditions can have. Participants also learn how to approach supportive conversations and guide someone towards appropriate help.
Many people experiencing eating disorders continue to work while quietly struggling. Without awareness, early warning signs may go unnoticed or be misunderstood as stress or workload pressure. Training helps organisations build understanding, reduce stigma, and create environments where employees feel safer speaking up and accessing support when they need it.
This training is valuable for a wide range of professionals, including managers, HR teams, teachers, pastoral staff, healthcare workers, and support professionals. It is also helpful for employees and volunteers who want to better understand eating disorders and feel more confident supporting colleagues, students, or individuals in their care.
Our sessions can run anywhere from 1 hour up to full day courses. The timing depends on how much content you wish to cover, and how much time you have available for the training. Please do contact our team to discuss your requirements further.
Yes. We offer live online training sessions delivered through platforms such as Microsoft Teams. These sessions remain interactive and engaging, with opportunities for discussion, questions, and reflection. Online delivery also allows organisations with remote or multi-location teams to attend more easily.
No prior knowledge is required. The training is designed to be accessible and supportive for people who may be learning about eating disorders for the first time. We explain complex topics clearly, and we encourage participants to ask questions in a safe and respectful learning environment.
Signs can vary from person to person, but they may include noticeable changes in eating habits, avoiding meals with others, dramatic weight changes, increased focus on body image, or shifts in mood and behaviour. Training helps participants understand these signs and approach concerns in a supportive and non-judgemental way.
Yes. A key focus of the training is helping participants feel more confident approaching sensitive conversations. Participants learn how to listen with empathy, avoid harmful assumptions, and guide someone towards appropriate professional support while respecting boundaries and personal dignity.
Absolutely. Eating disorders often develop during adolescence and early adulthood, which means educators and student support teams are often among the first to notice changes in behaviour or wellbeing. Training helps staff recognise warning signs and respond in ways that support students safely and compassionately.
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