Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Deferred
Paragraph: 54
Develop national eating disorder strategy, increase funding, and address regional inequalities in care.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government develops a national eating disorder strategy that aims to understand the causal mechanisms that lead to the development of eating disorders and earmarks adequate funding to bolster existing services as well as to increase investment in research. We further recommend that alongside the quarterly publication of data on existing access and waiting time standards across every region, the Government pledges and provides additional resources to address any increase in the need for treatment identified, in order to eliminate regional inequalities in care.
Government Response Summary
The government's response entirely focused on Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPEDs) and anabolic steroid use, outlining work by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), instead of addressing the recommendation for a national eating disorder strategy, research, funding, and addressing regional inequalities in eating disorder care.
Paragraph Reference:
54
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government agrees with the committee that IPEDs are a significant public health issue. Recent research and campaigns have already addressed the actions highlighted in the recommendation. In January 2020, UKAD , an arm’s-length body of DCMS , published a report on IPEDS highlighting the increased usage of these drugs among young males outside of sport for cosmetic purposes . In November 2018, UKAD announced a partnership with ukactive to improve education and awareness around IPEDs in gyms and leisure facilities . The partnership is aimed at exploring: attitudes around IPEDs among gym users how best to support operators, coaches and personal trainers to help keep sport and exercise clean This follows a recommendation made in the Tailored Review of UK Anti-Doping in 2018, which set out the opportunity for UKAD to: influence the fitness sector work with representative bodies to promote improved guidance and knowledge on the use of safe supplements The issue of the growing use of anabolic steroids in England is a shared responsibility, and one upon which the government, UKAD and others will continue to work together.