To mark Eating Disorder Awareness Week, West London NHS Trust is highlighting innovative work taking place within its Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ealing. This year’s theme is ‘Community’, and Ealing CAMHS dietitian Isis Stellmo has been bringing that theme to life by delivering personalised cooking sessions in the homes of young people recovering from eating disorders.
Isis joined West London NHS Trust in 2024 and has since developed a hands-on programme designed to help children and adolescents rebuild their relationship with food. The sessions – delivered at the young person’s home – use cooking as a therapeutic tool to reduce fear, increase confidence, and normalise food in everyday life.
Eating disorders continue to rise among young people nationally. Research shows that in children aged 11-16, eating difficulties increased from 6.7% in 2017 to 12.3% in 2023, while rates among 17-19-year-olds grew from 44.6% to 59.4% over the same period.
Isis works with children as young as nine, as well as teenagers navigating more complex challenges. Referrals come from GPs, schools, healthcare professionals and families. Through her sessions, she has seen how planning meals, practising mindfulness, or preparing a dish together can help remove the fear and emotional weight that often accompany eating disorders.
“When people hear the word ‘dietitian’, they imagine restriction or rules,” Isis says. “But my work is about relationships – with food, with the body, and with the world around us.”
At the heart of Isis’ approach is empowering young people to take control of their recovery. This could involve choosing snacks at the supermarket, deciding on the weekly meal plan, or learning how to plate up appropriate portions. For some, it means inviting Isis into their kitchen for a one-to-one cooking session.
“Planning ahead helps with the anxiety,” Isis explains. “They know what ingredients we’ll use, what the process will be, and that they’re always in control.”
Isis believes cooking can transform how young people see food, turning it from something overwhelming into something collaborative and creative.
“Food often becomes the enemy during an eating disorder,” she says. “Cooking encourages social eating, variety, and an understanding of healthy portions. It takes the power away from the food.”
Eating Disorder Awareness Week highlights the challenges faced by people of all ages, genders and backgrounds who live with eating disorders. West London NHS Trust offers support for both children and adults experiencing these difficulties.
For more information or to seek help, visit www.westlondon.nhs.uk.
