Eating disorders are serious, complex mental health conditions and the services supporting those affected often struggle to cope with demand. UWE Bristol Academic and the interim deputy director of the Centre for Appearance Research, Dr Christine Ramsey-Wade is working to change that. By connecting individuals with safe, trusted support her work will reduce the risk of escalation while people wait for, or transition between, services.
Christine is co-director of the Bristol Health Partners Eating Disorders Health Integration Team, who are working to improve the lives of people affected by or at risk of developing eating disorders in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The partnership has created The Eating Disorder Support App, a free resource that supports users to understand what’s happening, use safer coping strategies, find moments of calm, and access the right help at the right time. The app was co-produced from the outset with clinicians, eating disorder specialists, people with lived experience, and specialist charities including Anorexia & Bulimia Care, First Steps ED, and PANS PANDAS UK. As a result, the app is grounded in the realities of living with and recovering from an eating disorder and sits alongside existing regional services and care pathways.
To date, the app has had over 23,000 downloads and is currently the only app recommended by the national mental health charity Mind in its app library. A recently published evaluation study explored how people used and experienced the Eating Disorder Support App and shows high satisfaction from users as well as highlighting its role as a trusted resource that healthcare professionals recommend to patients and families.
The app continues to be a free resource for those affected by eating disorders, with plans to expand the regional care pathways it signposts beyond Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
As a result of this impact-driven work, Christine has been appointed as an advisory board member of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre –a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater wellbeing through research- based mindfulness and meditation, and one of the leading training centres for mindfulness teachers internationally. As they pivot to focus on applying mindfulness to the key areas of lifestyle medicine, Christine’s work with them will focus on mindfulness, food and eating. This area aligns with Christine’s previous research, mindful eating teaching experience, and her work at the Centre for Appearance Research. She will be an invited speaker at the Oxford Mindfulness 2026 annual conference, and she has been invited to work with them as a guest teacher to deliver the Mindful Eating – Conscious Living programme in 2027.
Eating disorders can have a significant impact on both physical and mental wellbeing, but support is available. For UWE Bristol staff, MYNDUP provides confidential access to a range of wellbeing professionals, while Beat and Eating Disorders UK offer trusted information and specialist support. If you need help, remember that you are not alone and there are people ready to listen.