An estimated 1 in 20, or 3.5 million people in the UK are now affected by an eating disorder according to new prevalence statistics released by Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity. Based on the most recent UK survey data, these figures suggest that eating disorders are far more common than previously thought.
The new figure represents the charity’s most up-to-date estimate of how many children and adults are living with an eating disorder across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Whilst eating disorders remain a severely under-researched area of mental health, the new figures reflect advances in available evidence and methodology, providing a clearer indication of the scale of those affected than has previously been possible.
The new prevalence estimate of 3.5 million people affected also marks a significant increase from Beat’s previously estimated figure of 1.25 million people, calculated in 2017. Whilst the two figures cannot be directly compared due to methodological differences, Beat believes that the prevalence of eating disorders has increased dramatically.
With this data suggesting that the number of people affected by these potentially life-threatening conditions has increased, Beat is calling on the Government to take action to increase support across the country. Most urgently, the forthcoming Mental Health strategy for England must include a specific focus on eating disorders and set out a clear framework for care that regional and local NHS leaders are expected to implement consistently. This should feature a stepped-care model for eating disorder treatment, designed to provide timely access to effective care that reflects individual needs, alongside tailored support for families and carers.
Vanessa Longley, Beat’s Chief Executive, said:
“These figures should be a wake-up call. Eating disorders are not a rare condition.
“For years we've heard from people with eating disorders, families, clinicians and services that the problem is getting worse. Waiting lists have grown, demand for support has increased, and more people have been reaching out to Beat desperate for help. Professionals across the field have also been raising concerns that existing prevalence estimates no longer reflected what they were seeing.
“We've worked with researchers and statisticians to look at the latest UK data and eating disorders are likely affecting far more people than we previously knew. But perhaps the most troubling finding is how much we still don't know.
“The scale of the problem is becoming clearer, but for a condition likely affecting millions of people, there has been far too little investment in research, prevention and ensuring people can access the treatment they need without having to wait. This has to change.”
For a detailed breakdown of the statistical methods used, visit our page on how we estimated this figure.