Jaimee Krawitz: changing the eating disorder conversation

Approximately 1.1 million Australians live with an eating disorder. Why did you decide to set up a support non-profit in this space?

It started off in 2020, when I finished my Bachelor of Counselling degree. I had been meeting with Dean Cohen, who stared Flying Fox and was a mentor to me. I wanted to start something on my own and Dean helped me think about the endeavour being meaningful.

I have a lived experience of an eating disorder, and was set on exploring that area because it's close to my heart. I want to help people who don't have the same opportunities or resources that I had. My recovery was very quick. I got in early because I had the right healthcare around me, but if I'd spoken up a little bit earlier, I would have had even more help than I did. Having the communication skills, language and awareness – both for me and my parents – to open a conversation around eating disorders at an early stage would have been a game changer.

Coincidentally, at the time I was thinking about this, it was COVID and eating disorder rates completely skyrocketed. I knew that I was in the right field at the right time.

How did you go from initial concept to launching Hide N Seek?

I didn’t want to solely target the person who was suffering from an eating disorder, I really wanted to reach the support people, the caregivers.

I started off by having a few open table conversations, which involved affected people, caregivers and practitioners, and learnt about the biggest issues in the sector. I was then asked to be part of a Hackathon with Australian Friends of Shaare Zedek, which involved people around Australia, America, Israel and Mexico discussing the concept of eating disorders and what we could do.

Out of those experiences, I put together an educational resource book on how to support someone experiencing an eating disorder called ‘The Language of Seeking Help’, which was endorsed by doctors and professors at The Royal Children's Hospital.

Someone from the hospital said the resource was amazing and asked about my future. My dream was to build an organisation and so I brought all my mentors together – they became my board – and came up with the name, Hide N Seek. It’s evolved into the most life changing experience for me.

Tell me about the name – how did you land on it?

I was going back and forth for ages! I didn't want the name to necessarily be associated with eating disorders in a heavy and serious way. The meaning behind Hide N Seek is around hiding away from the issue and then seeking help. We are trying to take people away from suffering in silence to pushing them to seek the right help at the right time.

Hide N Seek harnesses the power of language to change the way people speak about eating disorders. While we’re still in the early stages, we've got a board, we've got medical advisors who specialise in eating disorders, and our community is growing. When I do public speaking events, several people come up to me to share their story, how they’re struggling, and how impactful our work is.

For now, our work is mostly educational, but the dream down the line is to build a hub where we can have a multi-disciplinary clinic with different practitioners for people to have access to and avoid waitlists.

Why did you decide to focus specifically on carers of people with an eating disorder?

Parents and carers are as heavily involved in this process as the individual, because an eating disorder isn't only impacting the individual, it's impacting the whole family. It's critical for supporters to take the time to understand where their affected person is coming from. Disordered eating occurs on a significant spectrum and with a range of associated behaviours.

When I had my eating disorder, people didn’t know what to do or say. They often just wanted to intervene, because as parents and as caregivers, we only want to help and provide solutions. But it's not only about the solution, it's about how we respond along the way – how we talk about it, how we continue to check in and how we open the dialogue.

How should someone respond to a friend or family member with an eating disorder?

It’s important to let the affected person come to you when they're ready, because a lot of the time, they're not going automatically disclose their eating disorder. 

As a first step, begin with soft questions to open a conversation in a way that feels safe for them and helps break down those barriers. You could say ‘I’ve noticed there’s something about you that isn’t 100% right’ or ‘I’m just checking in to see if you’re okay’.

Letting them know that you are there to support them is important, for example by saying, ‘I’m here for you whenever you’re ready to speak’ or ‘we don’t have to talk now but I’m just starting the conversation for you’. Young people want to know how you’re going to respond or react to the situation as well, so keeping things calm and approachable is critical.

The biggest thing to remember is to not attack the person. Questions like ‘what’s wrong with you?’, ‘why are you acting so differently?’, ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘why are you being so difficult?’ are not going to work effectively. You also want to guide the person to reaching the right kind of help, and look out for the early warning signs so you can intervene when needed – whether that’s a different mood or social isolation for example.

Almost a third (27%) of eating disorder cases in Australia are among those aged 10-19. How big of an influence is social media on the development of eating disorders in young people?

It’s easy to blame social media and it certainly has a strong impact. This connection was shown through a 2023 US study which found that 42% of young people aged 14–25 had probable eating disorders, and 41.7% showed signs of social media addiction, highlighting a significant link between social media use and disordered eating behaviours.

People are easily influenced by social media, but they are also influenced by words and the way they speak to themselves. You can talk to yourself in a positive light, even when you're looking at social media. Instead of going straight to comparison, you could try seeing the person online as inspiring. It’s about that internal dialogue – social media is always going to be there but it’s about how to view it.  

If you feel comfortable, can you tell us about your journey with disordered eating?

I was 12 years old, which was very, very young. It wasn’t pleasant being in that mindset. I quickly realised that I didn’t want to live my life constantly thinking about and monitoring my food and exercise.

I got in at an early stage and things turned around very quickly for me. I've always felt very grateful for having a supportive family, friends and doctors. I sought the right help when I needed to.

What made the biggest difference to your trajectory?

I remember everyone constantly sharing their opinions about which health professional to see or clinic to attend. My parents didn’t know what to do, but they taught themselves a lot and became a fantastic guide for me.

Education and awareness are the core of Hide N Seek. We go into schools across south-east Melbourne and run our ambassador program, where we empower and train educators to become champions in this space – essentially eating disorder gurus. Ambassadors learn to recognise early signs of eating disorders, dispel myths and misconceptions, and facilitate effective communication about seeking help. They also lead by educating other teachers, parents and therefore students on these topics.

How does your counselling background fit with your work at Hide N Seek?

My private counselling work is separate, but Hide N Seek draws on the same skillset. As a counsellor, I’ve worked in schools, research institutes and private practice. I specialise in eating disorders, family-based therapy and couples’ therapy.

The leading interventions for eating disorders are family-based therapy and CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy. I certainly use this framework within Hide N Seek because it’s all about communication. Eating disorders can be a very long journey, so you have to be patient, and you have to learn how to open up the conversation both within the family unit and with the affected person.

How does your Jewish background intersect with your work and values?

I grew up at Mount Scopus, and I’m still very much involved in the Jewish community today. I’ve volunteered with Flying Fox and Friendship Circle, but I felt as though my Jewish connection especially deepened when I started Hide N Seek.

It all started with the Australian Jewish Funders. Their networking program really helped me meet a lot of amazing community leaders. I’ve connected with rabbis, rebbetzins and school directors who have given me opportunities to speak about and launch my organisation. I've also participated in UIA and JCA philanthropy programs, and was asked to join The Observership Program with Thread Together, all of which helped my connections and knowledge. Last year, I won JCA’s Shark Tank event and was awarded $40,000 for Hide N Seek.

What does social impact mean to you?

Making social impact is about making a mark in the community. Everyone has their own journey, their own experiences, their own story – which means everyone can bring a different lesson into the community. If we learn to listen, we can learn from one another and grow for the better.