New research has highlighted the need for culturally specific eating disorder screening tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A review by Edith Cowan University lead researcher and accredited practising dietitian Kanita Kunaratnam revealed there were no culturally specific and validated screening tools or early response programs that have been specifically developed for Indigenous peoples in Australia.

“The current tools aren’t really built to recognise and pick out disordered eating in this population,” Dr Kunaratnam said.

Despite the higher prevalence of eating disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, they remain underrepresented in studies, which rely on tools typically designed for non-Indigenous people.

“One of the main problems is that

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