When Beat announced that approximately 3.5 million people in the UK live with an eating disorder – roughly 5% of the population, or 1 in 20 people – it marked an important shift in how we talk about these conditions. To put that into perspective, this prevalence number is almost as high as that for diabetes in the UK. Yet while diabetes is widely recognised as a major, everyday health condition in primary care, eating disorders have long been viewed through a narrow lens: treated as rare, extreme cases that only affect a small, visible fraction of society.
As a researcher focusing on eating disorders in primary care – and as someone with lived experience – I know how isolating that narrative can be. When you believe your illness is rare or that your experience doesn’t fit a specific stereotype, it becomes terrifyingly easy to convince yourself that you aren’t "sick enough" to ask for help.
The numbers, alongside our growing body of primary care research, tell a very different story: eating disorders are not rare, you are not alone, and you deserve help.
To understand why so many people suffer in silence, we have to look at where most people first seek medical support: their GP surgery. My colleagues and I recently conducted a series of studies examining how eating disorders – specifically Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), which account for the majority of cases – are identified and managed in UK primary care.
Our evidence base highlights three critical realities about the current landscape:
1. Recognition and Management in Primary Care
In our qualitative systematic review (Kozmér et al., 2026), we looked closely at the experiences of both healthcare professionals and patients. We found that many healthcare professionals in primary care do not feel confident identifying or managing binge-eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, partly due to limited knowledge, unclear guidance, and poor access to specialist services. Patients often feel dismissed or misunderstood when seeking help for these eating disorders, which can prevent them from getting the care they need and discourage them from continuing to seek support. Improving how these conditions are recognised and treated in primary care will require better training for healthcare professionals, clearer referral pathways, and more inclusive, accessible support services for patients.
2. A Disconnect in Current Practice
In a nationwide survey of UK primary care (Kozmér et al., 2026), we mapped out real-world practice across general surgeries. The findings showed a wide variation in how patients are assessed and referred. While GPs are often the first port of call, many lack clear pathways or tools to support patients presenting with binge eating or purging behaviours, leaving both doctors and patients navigating a fragmented system.
3. The Need for Better Screening Tools
To catch eating disorders earlier, primary care needs accurate, practical tools. In our systematic review examining eating disorder screening tools in primary care settings (Kozmér et al., 2025), we evaluated whether existing screening tools are fit for purpose, specifically for detecting BED and BN. We found that many traditional screening questionnaires were originally designed for specialist settings or tailored primarily toward restrictive conditions like anorexia. As a result, they often fail to capture the full spectrum of disordered eating in general practice, particularly for individuals in larger bodies or those presenting with complex, non-weight-centric symptoms.
When we combine the 3.5 million prevalence figure with what our research shows, several things become clear:
Research isn't just about collecting data or mapping system challenges; it’s about changing outcomes for real people. The evidence shows that eating disorders are far more common than our healthcare systems have historically been structured to handle, but work is actively underway to improve GP training, refine screening tools, and build clearer care pathways.
If you recognise yourself or a loved one in these figures, please know this: your struggle is real, you are far from alone, and you deserve compassionate, timely care.
If you are struggling with your relationship with food, eating, or your body, the single most important step you can take is booking an appointment with your GP.
You can also contact Beat's Helpline.