Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for the writing, publishing and updating of the content on this page.
What is this week for?
“Beat” aims to make talking about eating disorders easier.
Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder.
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025
What do I need to know?
In the UK, at least 1.25 million people are living with an eating disorder That’s at least 1 in 50 people. And yet many people wouldn’t know how to spot the signs that someone has an eating disorder. This is important because the sooner someone is treated for an eating disorder the better their chance of making a full recovery.
Our campaign aims to reach new audiences with the message that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can affect anyone – at any age, gender, or background – at any time.
WHAT ARE EATING DISORDERS?
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses affecting people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds – anyone can develop one.
People with eating disorders use disordered eating behaviour as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings. This behaviour can include limiting the amount of food eaten, eating very large quantities of food at once, getting rid of food eaten through unhealthy means (e.g. making themselves sick, misusing laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise), or a combination of these behaviours.
It’s important to remember that eating disorders are not all about food itself, but about feelings. The way the person treats food may make them feel more able to cope, or may make them feel in control, though they might not be aware of the purpose this behaviour is serving. An eating disorder is never the fault of the person experiencing it, and anyone who has an eating disorder deserves fast, compassionate support to help them get better.
So that healthcare professionals can choose the right kind of treatment for someone, there are a number of different eating disorders that someone can be diagnosed with. It’s possible for someone to move between diagnoses if their symptoms change – there is often a lot of overlap between different eating disorders.
For more information or support;
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025
Be Body Positive – Support for Young People, Parents, Carers & Professionals
