December 2025 Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE...

• Message from the Chair
• Topic of the Month: Holiday Season and EDs
• Tip of the Month: Navigating Restaurant Meals During the Holidays
• Research Corner
• Feedback Corner
• Upcoming EDANZ support meetings

Happy Holiday Season!

A short story for the holidays: My partner was recently chatting with a business acquaintance about the work we do here at EDANZ. It turns out that this acquaintance had once reached out to EDANZ because their child had developed an eating disorder, and they were incredibly grateful for the help EDANZ had provided. (This isn't about praising ourselves, hang in here with me.)

Then my partner mentioned how we are all volunteers. The acquaintance was genuinely surprised, saying they had no idea and actually thought we were funded by Te Whatu Ora.

This conversation made me realise that maybe some of you might not know that we are a fully volunteer organisation. None of us are paid, and we receive no government funding. Your generous donations are what keep our vital helpline going.

We do have a few essential expenses, but with more donations, we could do so much more for our community: more education, more prevention initiatives, and more of the crucial, compassionate support that EDANZ was created to provide.

With the holiday season upon us, I am personally reaching out for your help.

If EDANZ helped you in any way, please consider making a donation today. A one-off gift or a regular ongoing donation, truly anything, will help our organisation help you and others like you, better.

https://www.ed.org.nz/donate

Thank you for being part of the EDANZ community. From all of us at EDANZ we’d like to wish you and your whānau a happy and peaceful holiday!

Andrea Bonetto – Chairperson

Navigating Eating Disorders During the Holidays

As is our tradition, our December newsletter focuses on a topic of critical importance this season: Eating Disorders and the Holidays.

The holiday season can be a period of intense stress and anxiety for loved ones managing an Eating Disorder with:

• Disrupted Routines: School breaks and time off can eliminate the structure that helped them manage their meal schedule.
• Food-Centric Events: Social gatherings revolving around large meals and treats  increasing pressure.
• Unpredictable Schedules: Irregular eating times and unfamiliar environments can be deeply unsettling and detrimental to recovery.
• Harmful Commentary: Unintentional comments about food, weight, appearance, and New Year's resolutions focused on dieting or exercise can be triggering.

These are a significant challenge for those in recovery.

Navigating Holiday Plans: Communication is Key

Support your loved one by reducing the element of surprise. Keep the conversation open and collaborative:

• Plan Ahead (Little by Little): Talk to them about upcoming plans. Instead of overwhelming them with the whole month, focus on the schedule for the next couple of days so they know what to expect.
• Meal Plans are Non-Negotiable: Remember that Nourishment is Key. Re-feeding and sticking to the essential meal plan are central to recovery. There may be pushback or attempts to negotiate, but on matters of food, exercise, or weight, state your expectation clearly and firmly, and then disengage from the argument.
• Bring a Lunchbox Strategy: Help them maintain consistency by packing a lunchbox with their planned snacks and meals to take along to events, ensuring they always have access to familiar, predictable nourishment.

Remember to pick your battles and look after yourself too.

Navigating Restaurant Meals During the Holidays

The holiday season often means we might eat out more often than usual, which can be a source of anxiety for loved ones in recovery.

To help manage the anxiety associated with dining out, here are some strategies:

• Communicate Plans in Advance: Talk to your loved one a couple of days ahead of the day of the outing. Let them know the plans and explicitly tell them that you will be there to support them throughout the meal.
• Review the Menu Together: Look at the restaurant's menu online beforehand. This will help reduce the anxiety they might feel when faced with a new menu on the spot.
• Choose their Meal ahead of Time: Help your loved one select two potential main courses. This is a crucial "just in case" step, as the preferred meal might occasionally be unavailable. Having a backup plan minimises panic and indecision.
• Provide Physical Support: When you arrive, make sure to sit right next to your loved one. Proximity provides silent, constant reassurance and support throughout the meal.

If things don’t go as expected, stay calm. It’s just a meal out. You’ll be back home soon and can try again soon.

This article by Kaitlin Dannibale highlights that the holiday season, because of the intense food focus and elevated stress, creates a profound challenge for individuals with eating disorders. During the holidays a central part of celebrations is food, and it’s everywhere, causing high anxiety. This is compounded by the typical holiday stressors like family conflict, which disrupt the routine necessary for recovery.

The Effect of the Holidays on Eating Disorders

https://journals.psu.edu/ne/article/view/59255/62295

A lovely message from a North Island mum:

“Kia ora,

It's hard to properly express my gratitude in a way that fairly reflects how much EDANZ has helped our whānau through this terrifying journey. They responded quickly and laid out both the realities of anorexia, while also providing hope and practical tips, like the fact we can apply for the child disability allowance. Without the volunteer’s frankness, we wouldn't be making the progress we are: our conversation allowed me to see the importance of being vigilant, and I realised we needed to be eating with our daughter during school breaks, which has made a huge difference to her progress. EDANZ has been at the end of the phone during the worst battles we've had to fight, and given us the strength and tools to keep fighting. Truly, I can't thank EDANZ enough!”

If EDANZ helped you or you have any suggestions on what we can do better, please email us at: info@ed.org.nz

We’d love to hear from you.

Upcoming support group meetings

EDANZ believes parents/carers have unique abilities to support one another and we hold regular meetings to which you are warmly invited. Currently, we're joining together around the country on the first Wednesday of every month thanks to videoconferencing technology. 

If you would like to participate in a virtual support group, please RSVP to info@ed.org.nz and we'll send you the link.

Upcoming meetings:

• Wednesday, 3 December at 8pm  
• Wednesday, 7 January at 8pm

Please make a donation today
and have real impact on the work we do. 

We are a fully volunteer association and receive no contract funding. Whether it is a one-off or regular donation, your support makes a difference.

Make a Donation