Joanne Cook receives Order of Australia for advocacy to support people with eating disorders

From struggling with an eating disorder in her 40s, Tasmanian Joanne Cook is now being recognised with an Australia Day honour for her work to help others facing the challenge.

Australia Day 2025 honours Joanne Cook. Picture: Caroline Tan

Joanne Cook was 40 when she realised her dieting had taken a dangerous turn. What began as a commitment to getting healthier spiralled into an eating disorder, leaving her battling a condition she’d never expected to face.

Now 64, Ms Cook is being recognised for her tireless work in the mental health and eating disorder sector, receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her advocacy and efforts to get appropriate treatments for eating disorders in Tasmania – particularly for older adults like herself.

“I actually feel overwhelmed and very humbled,” Ms Cook said of the honour, reflecting on how her personal experience has shaped her mission to help others.

As an adult with an eating disorder, Ms Cook found herself navigating a system ill-equipped for older sufferers.

Australia Day 2025 honours Joanne Cook. Picture: Caroline Tan

“There was a huge gap,” she explains.

“As a mother and a professional, I wanted to see if there was something we could do about providing information for people, helping them get to treatment more quickly, and reducing the stigma and shame.”

Ms Cook emphasised the unique challenges for adults compared to adolescents. While younger patients often benefit from family-based therapy, adults typically require psychological treatments like CBT or interpersonal therapy, and in some cases, hospitalisation for which there are scant facilities.

“Older adults with an eating disorder are far less likely to confide in anyone and get wraparound help or management from their family.” she says.

“Sufferers can be very skilled at hiding what’s happening, because as an adult, you’re basically responsible for feeding yourself, people are less likely to check up on you.”

Under her advocacy, Tasmania is now establishing residential treatment centres and day programs for adults with eating disorders, a significant step forward.

Now retired, Ms Cook remains active in her advocacy and passion for the issue.

“This is an illness people can recover from. The treatments are there. It’s so important to get the right help in time, because help is there.” she says.

In Ms Cook’s case, working with a psychologist, a GP, and a psychiatrist was key to her recovery, but it still took two years “and a lot of love from family and friends” to get well.

“In the end, it’s relationships that help the recovery. Because an eating disorder can destroy relationships. And a lot of the healing is around rebuilding those relationships and trusting again, because the person with the eating disorder almost becomes foreign to themselves.”

Originally published as Joanne Cook receives Order of Australia for advocacy to support people with eating disorders