Recommendation 3

Many organisations and academics have found that prevention and early intervention are likely to reduce eating disorder rates as well as hospitalisations and deaths. It is important that the alarming rise in eating disorder rates is addressed as the country reopens post-pandemic. We recommend that in the short term, the Government focuses on rapidly developing early intervention strategies for those with mental health issues related to body image, including eating disorders. Given the high mortality rates associated with eating disorders, and that eating disorder research receives just 96p per person affected annually, ringfenced funding for eating disorder research should be increased to at least £9 per person, the same amount that is spent per person on general mental health research. Funding for eating disorders must be in line with the prevalence and severity of the condition.