Eating Disorders Awareness Week runs from 24th February – 2nd March (organised by ‘Beat eating disorders’)
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025
Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder.
What do I need to know?
In the UK, at least 1.25 million people are living with an eating disorder That’s at least 1 in 50 people. And yet many people wouldn’t know how to spot the signs that someone has an eating disorder. This is important because the sooner someone is treated for an eating disorder the better their chance of making a full recovery.
Our campaign aims to reach new audiences with the message that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can affect anyone – at any age, gender, or background – at any time.
How you can get help:
Your Child
If you think this as a problem for your child it is important to get help at an early stage. Local NHS Eating Disorder Services are likely to require a GP referral. Please speak to your GP or a teacher in your child’s school so that the best care can be arranged.
You can also talk with your school nurse team to understand the first steps to take to get help
Healthy Child Programme (HCP) – Health Visitors and School Nursing (sussexcommunity.nhs.uk)
Yourself
If you think this is a problem for yourself it is also important to seek help.
For parents and carers, eating disorders can make the already challenging experience of caring for a child into one which is dominated by fear, guilt, shame and isolation. If this is a personal issue, then at least be comforted that you are not alone.
Get information and support – Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk)
There’s plenty out there and as always, early intervention is key to recovery. As we said above local NHS Eating Disorder Services are likely to require a GP referral so we would encourage you to book an appointment with your GP.
See below for the many online services and resources that are available at your fingertips:
NHS Eating Disorder information and services: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/
MIND: Good source of information about different types of eating disorders, support and resources.
