Eating disorders
Around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder
Eating disorders can have a devastating impact on the lives of young people and their families, yet our understanding of what causes them is limited.
The scale of the problem is rising, with more young people than ever before receiving treatment. Despite this, research investment continues to languish behind the already limited funding available for other mental health conditions.
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses affecting people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.
People with eating disorders use disordered eating behaviour as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings. This behaviour can include limiting the amount of food eaten, eating very large quantities of food at once, getting rid of food eaten through unhealthy means (e.g. making themselves sick), or a combination of these behaviours.
Why is more research needed?
Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder, and other eating disorders such as bulimia can lead to severe medical complications.
We need to know much more about what causes eating disorders, in order to improve treatments, and prevent them from developing in the first place.
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