Revamped campaign group vows to beat eating disorders

The country’s top eating disorders charity today re-launches itself with a new focus on ending the problem.

The Eating Disorders Association today becomes beat (beating eating disorders), and publishes a report laying out a manifesto for defeating eating disorders.

The study reports includes a survey of 600 young people affected by eating disorders, which finds over 90 per cent feel they cannot tell anybody about their problem.

The report calls for young people to be given the confidence to beat eating disorders and for those who have recovered to be celebrated, while laying down a number of challenges, notably to the NHS and the media.

It calls on the NHS to ensure doctors follow national guidance on treating eating disorders, amid evidence this is not happening, and for the media “to tell the truth about eating disorders”.

The report says: “We have created a size 0 world where people are vilified for gaining weight, then stigmatised for losing weight. No wonder young people keep their problems a secret.”