Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Eating Disorders Awareness Week

28 February 2023 · 9 other contributors · 13,250 words

Opened by Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

Responding minister: Maria Caulfield

Mental HealthNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Wera Hobhouse raised concerns about eating disorders awareness week in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, with one in four being male.
  • Hospital admissions for eating disorders increased by 84% over five years, with a significant rise among boys and young men.
  • The Minister committed to addressing stigma and highlighted a 1 billion investment under the NHS long-term plan to enhance community mental health care, including eating disorders.

Key requests to Government

The Government should implement Hope Virgo's manifesto to develop an evidence-based national eating disorder strategy, integrate obesity prevention plans, reform treatment approaches, and provide better training for medical professionals. The Minister is urged to address waiting time targets for adult services similar to those for children's services and ensure that additional funding reaches frontline mental health services. Services must invest in early intervention and emergency support without choosing between them. More training is needed for all healthcare professionals, including pharmacists. There should be a fully funded access and waiting time standard for adults as exists for children. A treatment pathway specifically for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder needs to be commissioned through the NHS.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, with a third at risk of suicide and anorexia having the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses. The debate highlighted that men are also significantly affected, with one person in four being male, and 89% of young men worrying about their appearance. There is a lack of research funding, toxic stereotypes, misunderstanding of eating disorders as a lifestyle choice, and inconsistent treatment availability across different regions. Waiting times for treatment have increased, and there has been an 84% rise in hospital admissions over five years, with disproportionate increases among boys and young men. NHS eating disorder services in Sheffield are failing patients due to a four to five-month waiting list for SYEDA services, which is deterring people from seeking help. Since 2015, referrals have increased every year. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman concluded that urgent action is needed if the Government are to prevent more deaths. NHS figures show an 84% increase in hospital admissions for eating disorders in the last five years, with over 8,000 adults waiting for therapy.

Other contributors (9)
  • Carol Monaghan SNP Glasgow North West

    Discussed the issue of BMI measurement during health screenings and highlighted the importance of early intervention in helping young people with eating disorders. Raised concerns about unrealistic expectations on young people due to social media and TV programmes like 'Love Island'. Noted that 12.9% of children and young people aged between 11 and 19 screened positive for eating disorder symptoms, with a concerning 60% among 17 to 19-year-olds. Stressed the need for appropriate treatment in age-appropriate settings and the long-term health impacts of eating disorders.

  • Caroline Nokes Con Romsey and Southampton North

    Ms Nokes highlighted the importance of early intervention in treating eating disorders, citing cases where patients fall through the cracks between children's and adult services. She emphasised the need for online safety legislation to address harmful social media content and called for mandatory PSHE education up to age 18. Ms Nokes also noted the stigma surrounding men with eating disorders and stressed the importance of addressing unrealistic body images and over-exercising among young males. Emphasised the need to move away from BMI as an indicator of wellbeing, noting its misleading nature for women who suffer from eating disorders.

  • Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire

    Mr. Kruger acknowledged that eating disorders affect all genders and ages, highlighting the need for a cross-party approach to tackle this issue. He discussed the different ways men and women express distress and emphasised the bravery of men coming forward with their condition. He also noted the disappointing treatment outcomes for male patients and stressed the importance of public awareness, GP training, early intervention services, and community-based step-down care.

  • George Howarth Lab Makerfield

    George Howarth thanked the hon. Member for initiating the debate and mentioned a growing issue called T1DE—a type of eating disorder that affects young men and women with diabetes. He emphasized the importance of professional support, both psychological and physical. Mr Howarth intervened to ask whether the Minister was aware of trials taking place in London and Bournemouth involving integrated approaches for treating type 1 diabetics with eating disorders. He suggested that an evaluation of these trials could provide insights into treating other types of eating disorders as well.

  • Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry

    Many men fail to seek help for their eating disorder problems, which can be fatal. The challenge is getting males to understand that if they need help, they should seek it. Mr. Campbell intervened to agree that while some progress has been made in addressing eating disorders, more needs to be done to ensure further improvements are achieved.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon discussed the prevalence of eating disorders in Northern Ireland, highlighting cases where timely intervention was crucial. He mentioned a report indicating that approximately 50 to 120 people develop anorexia nervosa and 170 develop bulimia nervosa annually in Northern Ireland. Shannon also noted the impact of social media on young individuals and the need for early recognition and treatment by healthcare professionals.

  • Margaret Ferrier SNP Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Increasing awareness and understanding of eating disorders is crucial. Margaret Ferrier highlighted the need for more research funding, noting that only 1% of mental health research funding goes to eating disorder studies. Social media algorithms are serving more harmful content to those with eating disorders, particularly affecting younger and adolescent sufferers. The speaker urges that platforms should not profit from such content via advertisements.

  • Rosena Allin-Khan Lab Tooting

    Ms Allin-Khan closed the debate by highlighting that up to 1.25 million people in the UK are living with eating disorders, which can affect individuals of all ages and backgrounds. She mentioned that only 60% of urgent cases received treatment within one week last year, falling short of the 95% target set for children and young people experiencing severe eating disorder cases. She also noted concerns about the inappropriate use of restraint in mental health settings.

  • Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

    Mr. Farron expressed concern about the impact of eating disorders, noting a 55% increase in referrals during the pandemic period and an over 80% rise in hospital admissions. He highlighted issues with tier 4 hospitalisation for sufferers being placed in distant locations or inappropriate wards. He criticised the use of BMI as a measure to decide access to services, stating it is dangerous and foolish.

Government Response

Maria Caulfield

Improving treatment for eating disorders is a key priority for the Government. Beat estimates that 1.25 million people live with an eating disorder in the UK, and the stigma around these conditions, especially for men, must be addressed. The Minister highlighted the £1 billion investment under the NHS long-term plan to enhance community mental health care, including eating disorders. She also mentioned that funding has increased by £53 million per year since 2016 for children and young people's community eating disorder services. Over 4,000 more young people entered treatment in the previous year due to additional investment of £79 million in young people's mental health services as part of the £500 million covid recovery plan funding. The Government aims to set targets for adults' eating disorders services as well and is consulting on this matter. Rejection of treatment based on BMI criteria should not occur, according to NICE guidance. Restraint used during in-patient treatments was addressed by introducing legislation in 2018. The Minister committed to using evidence-based medicine and encouraging research into eating disorders, particularly for men and high-risk groups. Local commissioners are expected to use allocated funds effectively to address regional needs.

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