Eating Disorders Stole My Daughters. Here's What I Did

What if everything you thought you knew about eating disorders was wrong? In this powerful episode, Kingsley Colley sits down with Mark Forbes — co-founder of NDeD (Australia's first integrated eating disorder residential, day program, and accommodation village) — to unpack one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions affecting millions of people worldwide.Mark shares his deeply personal journey raising two daughters with eating disorders, the genetic science behind why it happens, and how a father's heartbreak became a world-first model of care. From the role of the MTHFR gene to groundbreaking research with North Carolina University, this episode will completely reshape the way you think about eating disorders — and the families fighting through them.Whether you're a parent feeling lost and guilty, someone personally navigating an eating disorder, or simply someone who wants to understand better, this episode is essential listening.Topics covered: eating disorder recovery, genetic predisposition to eating disorders, residential treatment Australia, NDeD charity, family impact of eating disorders, mental health support, lived experience, eating disorder awarenessChapters:00:00 Welcome & introducing Mark Forbes and Ended 00:57 Building Australia's first eating disorder residential — a world-first model 03:00 Mark's personal story — two daughters, one mission 05:09 The genetics behind eating disorders — the MTHFR gene explained 07:30 Global research — mapping the full genome of eating disorders 08:30 How trauma pulls the trigger on a dormant genetic predisposition 09:46 "Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger" 11:45 The guilt and shame parents carry — and why it's misplaced 12:37 The emotional reality of the first diagnosis and a very lonely journey 15:42 What it actually feels like to have an eating disorder — the spider room analogy 17:06 How NDeD got its name — and the "Ed" story that started it all 20:00 A father's helplessness watching his child suffer 22:00 Why "just eat" is the worst thing you can say 26:00 The divide and conquer nature of eating disorders on families 32:00 Building a treatment team with lived experience at its core 40:00 What recovery actually looks like — and why it's never linear 50:00 Stage one — creating Australia's first eating disorder residential 58:00 Stage two — the step up/step down day program centre 01:03:00 Stage three — the short-term accommodation village opens April 1st 01:07:17 Community produce gardens, disadvantaged youth and 2.8 tonnes of donated food 01:09:36 The beautiful irony of people with eating disorders growing food for others 01:10:54 Baby steps, no pressure — how lived experience shapes the program 01:12:02 Finding privilege in a painful journey 01:15:58 Mark's life philosophy — letting the universe do the heavy lifting 01:17:24 How to contact Mark and Ended — website, phone & socials