Eating disorders are among Aotearoa’s most misunderstood, underfunded, and stigmatised health issues, especially for rangatahi. Recent research shows diagnosed eating disorders among 15–19-year-olds have quadrupled over the past decade, yet early intervention remains rare, and public awareness is dangerously low.
Support was often siloed, clinical, and inaccessible, especially for Māori, Pasifika, and gender-diverse communities who are often diagnosed late or not at all.
There had never been a national, lived experience-led awareness campaign tailored to the people directly affected. Empower.ed set out to change that.
The Design:
Born from personal experience helping my sister navigate a system that offered little empathy or autonomy, Empower.ed was designed with a clear kaupapa: to create a free, accessible digital space grounded in lived experience, te ao Māori values, and co-design. Our campaign elevated the voices of those most affected by eating disorders, not just as ‘victims’, but as experts.
The website and campaign were co-designed with rangatahi, creatives, clinicians, and whānau, alongside cultural advisors and lived experience leaders. It centred te ao Māori principles like manaakitanga (care), whanaungatanga (connection), and rangatiratanga (self-determination).
Launched during 2024’s Mental Health Awareness Week, our campaign fundraised for A2 posters to be placed in Wellington’s CBD and university bathrooms. These were deliberately placed in quiet, shame-filled spaces where disordered behaviours can begin. The posters challenged misconceptions (e.g. “Eating disorders don’t have a look”) and encouraged people to scan a QR code linking to empower.ed. Which was a private website providing information, screening tools, stories of hope, and pathways to support.
Our visual language rejected stereotypical clinical imagery. All photography and tone was directed by those with lived experience, resulting in an emotionally intelligent, inclusive, and culturally safe resource.
Outcomes:
Empower.ed reached 1,100+ active users by June 2025, with 733 during Mental Health Awareness Week alone. Our QR code posters were also scanned 226 times during our launch week. The total of 993 direct visits demonstrated continued traction well beyond launch week too.
On social, our Instagram reached over 1,700 accounts with 138 new followers, and our YouTube resources were viewed by 119 users.
But beyond metrics, Empower.ed’s impact lies in what it represented: Aotearoa’s first eating disorder awareness campaign led by lived experience. It turned isolation into connection, shame into self-awareness, and silence into community.
Description:
The Challenge:
Eating disorders are among Aotearoa’s most misunderstood, underfunded, and stigmatised health issues, especially for rangatahi. Recent research shows diagnosed eating disorders among 15–19-year-olds have quadrupled over the past decade, yet early intervention remains rare, and public awareness is dangerously low.
Support was often siloed, clinical, and inaccessible, especially for Māori, Pasifika, and gender-diverse communities who are often diagnosed late or not at all.
There had never been a national, lived experience-led awareness campaign tailored to the people directly affected. Empower.ed set out to change that.
The Design:
Born from personal experience helping my sister navigate a system that offered little empathy or autonomy, Empower.ed was designed with a clear kaupapa: to create a free, accessible digital space grounded in lived experience, te ao Māori values, and co-design. Our campaign elevated the voices of those most affected by eating disorders, not just as ‘victims’, but as experts.
The website and campaign were co-designed with rangatahi, creatives, clinicians, and whānau, alongside cultural advisors and lived experience leaders. It centred te ao Māori principles like manaakitanga (care), whanaungatanga (connection), and rangatiratanga (self-determination).
Launched during 2024’s Mental Health Awareness Week, our campaign fundraised for A2 posters to be placed in Wellington’s CBD and university bathrooms. These were deliberately placed in quiet, shame-filled spaces where disordered behaviours can begin. The posters challenged misconceptions (e.g. “Eating disorders don’t have a look”) and encouraged people to scan a QR code linking to empower.ed. Which was a private website providing information, screening tools, stories of hope, and pathways to support.
Our visual language rejected stereotypical clinical imagery. All photography and tone was directed by those with lived experience, resulting in an emotionally intelligent, inclusive, and culturally safe resource.
Outcomes:
Empower.ed reached 1,100+ active users by June 2025, with 733 during Mental Health Awareness Week alone. Our QR code posters were also scanned 226 times during our launch week. The total of 993 direct visits demonstrated continued traction well beyond launch week too.
On social, our Instagram reached over 1,700 accounts with 138 new followers, and our YouTube resources were viewed by 119 users.
But beyond metrics, Empower.ed’s impact lies in what it represented: Aotearoa’s first eating disorder awareness campaign led by lived experience. It turned isolation into connection, shame into self-awareness, and silence into community.