We need to talk about eating disorders in men and boys
Eating disorders are a growing problem in the Western world and failure to treat them properly can lead to devastating outcomes.
In England, the National Health Service says hospital admissions have risen by more than 80 per cent in the last five years.
The increase is particularly stark among boys and young men, with a 128 per cent rise in that time.
Various studies show that males account for anywhere between one-in-four and one-in-three people with an eating disorder.
And with misdiagnosis reportedly more common in men, the risks to their health may be greater.
So what is behind these statistics? How can we stop the numbers rising? And what role, if any, do the food and supplements industries have to play?
Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs, BEAT
TomQuinn leads relationships with governments, policy makers and stakeholders across the UK to help ensure that people with eating disorders can access the support that they need.
BEAT’s national Helpline exists to encourage and empower people to get help quickly.
People can contact the charity online or by phone 365 days a year. It will listen to them, help them to understand the illness, and support them to take positive steps towards recovery.
It also supports family and friends, equipping them with essential skills and advice, so they can help their loved ones recover whilst also looking after their own mental health.
The work BEAT does means that every year lives are saved, families are kept together, and people are able to live free of eating disorders.
Deanne Jade, Founder, the National Centre for Eating Disorders
Deanne is a psychologist who has worked with eating and weight problems for many years.
She has a passionate commitment to help people to recover and has taught a generation of counsellors how to treat eating disorders such as compulsive eating, bulimia, anorexia and obesity.
She understands your deepest experience of eating distress and has changed many lives; sufferers of all ages and all types of eating distress have been guided toward a happier life.
She belongs to: The British Psychological Society, the National Obesity Forum, The Royal Society of Medicine and an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Obesity.
She assisted the development of treatment guidelines for eating disorders and obesity by The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Dr Dominique Thompson, GP and Director of Buzz Consulting
Dominique is a multi-award winning GP, young people’s mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with two decades of clinical experience.
She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series (Trigger Press) for young people, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse) for parents.
Dom has done two TEDx talks; ‘What I learnt from 78000 GP consultations with university students’ and ‘Understanding Why’.
Dom is a Clinical Advisor for NICE and Student Minds, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). She was the GP representative on the NICE Clinical Advisory Eating Disorders’ Guidelines Development Group 2017. Other eating disorders projects include being clinical lead on the award winning Hungry for Words (a training module on eating disorders in men and boys) with University of Nottingham, and development of the Eating Disorders in Pregnancy website. She has also published an article on eating disorders in men and boys.
Dom was lead clinical advisor for Aardman Animation’s What’s Up with Everyone? Campaign.
Further information about Dom’s Consulting and other work see www.buzzconsulting.co.uk and check out www.growingagrownup.com (for parenting support and free resources).
