More than 3.5 million people in the UK could now be living with an eating disorder, a figure that dramatically reshapes understanding of one of the country’s deadliest mental illnesses.
Analysis by national eating disorder charity Beat estimates that around one in 15 people aged 11 and over are living with an eating disorder.
This is almost three times higher than the charity’s previous estimate for the UK of 1.25 million people, a figure that has been widely cited since 2017.
Shorts
The charity says it suggests that illnesses including anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder and ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) are more widespread than previously understood, adding to growing demands for major reforms to treatment services and the way doctors are trained to recognise them.
