The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Eating Disorders has presented a new report before Parliament on October 28.
Titled ‘An Inquiry into Preventing Eating Disorder Deaths,’ the report is dedicated to Zara Taylor, who died in 2021 after receiving inadequate eating disorder care for 10 years.
The report presents key demands for the government, with recommendations including: increasing mandatory training for healthcare professionals to improve early care, mandating the implementation of the Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders (MEED) strategy, introducing a confidential inquiry into all eating disorder deaths, and developing a National Standalone strategy for eating disorders.
This comes following previous research findings that doctors in the UK receive less than two hours of eating disorder-specific training during their entire medical education.
Additionally, 20% of UK doctors receive no relevant training at all, while eating disorders are increasingly putting patients at risk of death by suicide or complications from their conditions.
Dump The Scales campaign leader and founder Hope Virgo said: “The experience of Zara Taylor echoes the unfortunate experiences of hundreds of families across the UK.”
Over 1.25 million people in the UK are estimated to have an eating disorder, and with no specific law regarding their care, apart from broader mental and physical health legislation, their experiences are often dismissed or delayed by long NHS waiting lists, resulting in increased risks of death.
Virgo said: “We had a really positive response in the room on the night of the launch, but there is still a lot of work to be done to turn the report into action.
“We need leadership from the Prime Minister and Health Secretary to shine a spotlight on eating disorders, to help ensure that people with eating disorders are getting the support they need.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care responded to The Londoners, and said: “NHS England is updating guidance on children’s and young people’s eating disorders.
“The updated guidance will increase the focus on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in settings such as schools and primary care.
“Funding for children and young people’s eating disorder services has increased each year, from £46.7 million in 2017/18 to £106.3 million in 2024/25.”
Anorexia, a restrictive eating disorder, currently has the highest mortality rate among all psychiatric disorders.
In discussing presenting in Parliament with individuals across all parties, Virgo said: “We just have to keep talking about it, sharing stories and speaking up, we cannot ignore the stories and the data.
“It is frustrating and difficult at times when it feels like no one is listening, but we cannot let this stop us from speaking up.”
Chair of the APPG for Eating Disorders, Wera Hobhouse, said: “The number of lives lost to eating disorders is unacceptably high.
“These are lives that could, and should, have been saved with early intervention and proper care.
“This petition and report are a direct call to action for the government. We must act now to stop more needless deaths.”
Dump The Scales is currently raising money to expand its work into the new year, while also planning a sector summit and a public march set to take place in May next year.
Virgo said: “We will be continuing to lobby parliament and shine a light on the neglect in services evident in this report.
“We want to make sure that people affected by eating disorders remain central to what we do.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, contact your GP or visit the charity BEAT Eating Disorders for useful resources.
Featured Image Credit: Fernando Zhiminaicela via Pixabay
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