SLEEP HEALTH / CLINICAL (symposium session): Eating disorders in OSA and hypersomnolence: under the radar yet impacting health outcomes
Tracks
Track 1
| Saturday, November 14, 2026 |
| 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM |
Details
Screening for eating disorders in sleep medicine is largely overlooked, with many clinicians lacking training or support in monitoring for flags or signs of disordered eating.
With the rise of GLP-1 medications for OSA, it is important to screen for disordered eating behaviours when managing obesity to support patient health progress, given the potential for appetite inhibition to further complicate eating behaviour. Understanding a patient's historical eating behaviours is an important consideration when prescribing and monitoring nutrition during obesity treatment.
In addition, people living with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia may be of greater vulnerability when a presentation of disordered eating behaviour accompanies sleep disorder diagnosis due to stimulant medication potentiating appetite inhibition. Consequently, low overall energy intake may contribute to somnolence, compounding symptoms of hypersomnolence.
This symposium will equip attendees with skills to screen for eating disorders and direction in navigating when and how to refer patients for additional care.
Speaker
Dr Elizabeth Machan
Senior Lecturer
University of Sydney / The Woolcock Institute
Brief introduction to the problem - eating behaviours in obesity management for the OSA and hypersomolence, a clinical perspective
3:45 PM - 4:00 PMBiography
Dr Elizabeth Machan is an accredited exercise physiologist and nutritionist with a PhD in obesity and OSA. She is an early career teaching and research academic at the University of Sydney and an honorary affiliate of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
Liz's program of research spans sleep in elite athletes, nutrition and exercise interventions for conditions of hypersomnolence and sleep disordered breathing, models of obesity management for sleep disordered breathing, shift work and eating interventions and exercise and substance use disorders.
She combines implementation science and consumer engagement to ensure future research is consumer informed and translatable.
Leah Brennan
Practicalities of identifying disordered eating in people presenting for obesity treatment or hypersomnolence
4:00 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Dr Natalie Lister
Senior Research Fellow
University of Sydney
Outlining evidence of eating disorders in GLP-1 studies
4:30 PM - 4:50 PMBiography
Dr Natalie Lister is co-Lead of the EDIT Initiatives research group and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney. An Accredited Practising Dietitian, her research investigates the intersection of mental health and higher weight, focusing on individuals seeking obesity treatment.
Dr Sheila Sivam
Physician
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Panel discussion
4:50 PM - 5:15 PMBiography
Sheila Sivam, MD, PhD, is a clinician and researcher based in Sydney, Australia, affiliated with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She is actively involved in clinical research on narcolepsy type 1 and orexin-based therapies. Dr Sivam has contributed as an author and investigator to several phase 3 clinical programmes examining treatment effects on quality of life and related outcomes, and has participated in international collaborations supporting the development and dissemination of sleep medicine research.
Hon Assoc Prof Sara Winter
Program Manager
Australasian Sleep Association
Panel discussion
4:50 PM - 5:15 PMBiography
Dr Sara Winter is a clinical psychologist and Honorary Associate Professor at The University of Queensland, specialising in behavioural sleep medicine. She leads Queensland’s only public-hospital adult sleep psychology service at The Prince Charles Hospital and is Program Manager for the Australasian Sleep Association’s Commonwealth-funded primary care sleep health program. With more than 20 years’ experience, her clinical and research interests include insomnia, CBT-I, CPAP adherence, stepped-care and digital interventions. Sara co-chairs the ASA Behavioural Management of Sleep Disorders Education Subcommittee, is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, and contributes to national guidance and multidisciplinary education.
Michelle Chadwick
Founder/Director
Hypersomnolence Australia
Panel discussion
4:50 PM - 5:15 PMBiography
Michelle Chadwick is the founder and Executive Director of Hypersomnolence Australia, Australia’s leading voice for people living with Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Narcolepsy. Living with idiopathic hypersomnia herself, Michelle brings lived experience and over a decade of advocacy and research collaboration. She established the Idiopathic Hypersomnia Patient Registry in 2013 and co-authored its published findings. Her work connects community perspectives with research and clinical practice beyond diagnosis and medication. Michelle is particularly interested in holistic approaches to care encompassing nutrition, movement, mental health and individual needs to improve overall health, wellbeing and everyday life for people with central disorders of hypersomnolence.
Dr Elizabeth Machan
Senior Lecturer
University of Sydney / The Woolcock Institute
Chair
Biography
