Did you know that over 1.6 million people in the UK are affected by eating disorders? It’s true, and the majority are aged 12 to 20. Eating disorders refer to a number of mental health issues that are typically characterised by negative thoughts, perfectionism, obsessiveness, cycles of control and self-punishment as well as low self-esteem, depression and sometimes self-harm.
While the majority of sufferers are teenagers and young adults, eating disorders can affect anyone at any time and, at their worst, they can be fatal. For example, anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of all psychiatric conditions in adolescence. They most commonly develop during the teenage years, but are often long term with one third of those diagnosed becoming chronic.
Despite how common they are, new research suggests that they remain poorly understood by health services and the general public. The research study, published on Youthhealthtalk.org, revealed that many young people have been have prevented from getting the treatment and support they need by common myths that surround the conditions.
Some of the most interesting findings from the research showed that young people found it hard to make the first contact with health services. Often they were not taken seriously even after this especially if they were overweight. Health services often excluded people above a certain BMI, which only made them feel inadequate and guilty. This only served to make their condition worse at a time when it could have been easily treated.
It’s thought that stereotypes often play a large part in the stigma attached to the conditions. Males with eating disorders were found to be discriminated against especially. It’s hoped that this new research will bring to light some of the huge problems surrounding eating disorders and make people feel more comfortable about admitting their condition.
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