Treat eating disorders as an emergency, MPs urge

A group of British parliamentarians has stated that "grossly inadequate care" for individuals with eating disorders is leading to loss of life and broken families. In a report, the group noted an "alarming" rise in conditions such as anorexia and bulimia over the past decade, which has become an "emergency."

The report emphasizes the urgent need to raise awareness of the different types of eating disorders and how these disorders affect men and women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. NHS England acknowledges that services are under significant pressure, but also states that all mental health trusts now offer early help for adolescents and young adults.

Olymaata Taal, 13, coped with family problems by refusing food and over-exercising. She said, "Eating healthier quickly turned into eating less, and eventually not eating at all." She recalled feeling like an empty shell, needing to shower multiple times a day to stay warm. Although some teachers suspected she had a problem, they failed to intervene in time. When she first saw a general practitioner, the doctor simply told her to "eat a muffin."

Now 27, Olymaata says her mixed Gambian and British heritage added to the complexity of her experience. "In my experience, a big part of African culture is about being strong, being strong-willed," she said. After being diagnosed with anorexia, she received ongoing support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs), which "saved her life," but she still feels "survivor's guilt." However, because she doesn't want to lose this support, she sometimes feels unmotivated to get better.

The parliamentarians spent six months listening to "harrowing" accounts from patients, bereaved families, clinicians, and academics. The report notes that eating disorders are often misunderstood as lifestyle choices that only affect young white girls. In reality, they are serious but treatable mental illnesses. Data cited in the report shows a growing number of people affected: a 2023 mental health survey showed that 12% of 17-19 year olds have an eating disorder, with the figure closer to 21% for young women. Other research suggests that two to three million adults of all ages in the UK may be affected at some point in their lives, a similar number to those with diabetes. Hospital admissions in England for eating disorders have steadily increased since 2000, with a surge since the pandemic, reaching over 31,000 admissions in 2023-24.

The report states that services are "grossly" underfunded, there are barriers to accessing treatment, and the quality of care varies greatly across the UK. It calls for a national strategy to properly support adults, young people, families, and healthcare staff, as well as mandatory training so that frontline staff like teachers and nurses can spot the different conditions and offer help. Dr. Vikki Chapman, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the eating disorders service at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said: "This is a really good idea; there are huge gaps in the treatment of eating disorders."

Molly Campbell, 17, and her family struggled for six years with a diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). She was seen as a picky eater and was repeatedly turned away from eating disorder services because she did not meet the criteria for those more widely known conditions. Molly said, "I thought the only way to get help was to eat less, lose more weight, and become more unwell." Due to a lack of specialist help, her desperate family often took her to the emergency room, where she experienced stabbing chest pains that doctors said could be caused by her diet. "I was in a dark place and couldn't see a way out," Molly said, but now, she feels positive with more information about her condition and is ready to start a new chapter at university in September.

Labour MP Richard Quigley is one of the parliamentarians who has experienced the "nightmare" of having his own child struggle with an eating disorder. He said, "Watching a bright, witty, intelligent child be lost and scared because there's no treatment makes you feel like you've failed them." As part of its long-term plan, NHS England says it has invested additional funding to improve waiting times for eating disorder services, with over £1 billion a year going towards community mental health care for adults. But Mr. Quigley said that services are "broken" and need more investment, which would save the NHS money in the long run, and that specialized training should be rolled out for GPs, dentists, and care staff. "We're not just talking about half a day's training here," he said, "we're talking about a few days a year to fully understand not just eating disorders, but the nuances of the different types of eating disorders."

Claire Murdoch, national mental health director for NHS England, said there is "no question" that eating disorder services are "under huge pressure," but more than four in five children and young people needing urgent treatment are starting treatment within a week. "More needs to be done, which is why every mental health trust now offers evidence-based early interventions for 16-25 year olds with an eating disorder," she said. The report also warns of the dangers of some clinics discharging patients when their Body Mass Index (BMI) is very low (below 15), indicating a severe eating disorder. Campaigner Hope Virgo fears that some people with long-term and complex eating disorders are being seen as "untreatable" and are "being sent home to die." However, some experts say that discharging these patients can sometimes be appropriate when there is an adequate level of intensive community or day patient care available.