Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 4
4
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We are hugely saddened to hear of the number of people who have faced appearance...
Recommendation
We are hugely saddened to hear of the number of people who have faced appearance and weight-based discrimination when accessing NHS services. There is no way to quantify the damage this has done to individuals’ mental and physical health. We are not satisfied with the use of BMI as a measurement to evaluate individual health. 42 Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image It is clear that the use of BMI inspires weight stigma, contributes to eating disorders, and can damage an individual’s body image and mental health. We recommend that the Government urgently commissions research into the extent and impact of weight- based discrimination for people accessing NHS services. PHE should stop using BMI as a measure of individual health and adopt a ‘Health at Every Size’ approach within twelve months.
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Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
4. Improving eating disorder services is a key priority for the government and a fundamental part of our commitment to improve mental health services. The Department has funded various studies through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) that aim to understand and mitigate harms of eating disorders.