ROS: Counseling On Eating Disorders

Children & youth

Jul 9

Who: ROS

What: Counseling on eating disorders

Where: Bergen

Project period: 2024

Web: ROS

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

ROS is an organization for everyone affected by issues related to food and body – for those who have or have had an eating disorder, their relatives, and professionals encountering these issues in their work.

ROS offers free support, advice, and guidance through individual conversations, chat, and phone. Additionally, we organize a range of courses, groups, and other activities that can contribute positively to a challenging daily life and a recovery process that often can be long-term. We also work to spread information about eating disorders, promote the user voice, focus on preventive activities among children and youth, and influence attitudes towards body and appearance.

ROS operates from a user perspective, which forms the foundation of our organization. This means that approximately 80% of our staff and volunteers have personally experienced an eating disorder. We believe that this experience-based competence is essential both for prevention, educational work, and recovery processes.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

Recognized as a public health issue, eating disorders affect a substantial number of young individuals, with a notable increase in serious cases. From 2019-2022, inquiries to ROS from those under 18 rose by 123%. Many youths facing eating disorders also struggle with other issues like anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

With funding from the Grieg Foundation, ROS aims to further develop our digital guidance services to support affected children, adolescents, and their relatives, such as:

Q&A Service: An anonymous online platform where users can ask questions about eating disorders, body image, and related topics.
Social Media Engagement: Active presence on platforms like TikTok and Jodel to provide accurate information and counter harmful content.
Individual Guidance via Chat, Phone and Teams: Extending the capacity to offer one-on-one support sessions, addressing the increasing demand and reducing waiting lists.
Digital Support Groups for Relatives: Offering virtual group sessions to help relatives cope with the challenges of supporting someone with an eating disorder.

These initiatives aim to provide early intervention, comprehensive support, and valuable resources to those affected by eating disorders and their families.