Medical Research Foundation invests £700,000 into research projects on eating disorders

The Medical Research Foundation is investing £700,000 into vital eating disorder research projects. The charity, which supports high-quality medical research in underfunded areas, made the announcement on June 5.

Its ‘Launchpad Grants in Eating Disorder Research’ will allow researchers to conduct pilot studies, generate data and help them attract more funding for their research.

The eight research projects it will be funding aim to investigate the causes of these devastating mental illnesses, as well as what can be done to prevent and treat them.

The projects are as follows:

• Appetite-regulating drugs and binge eating disorder
• ADHD in women with bulimia nervosa
• Food insecurity and eating disorders in the UK
• Loneliness and eating disorder recovery
• Polycystic ovary syndrome and eating disorders
• Harnessing AI to prevent eating disorders
• Eating disorder prevention for secondary school students
• Eating disorders among people with learning disabilities

Beat’s Director of External Affairs, Tom Quinn, said:

‘We’re delighted that the Medical Research Foundation will be funding these extremely important research projects. Eating disorders are devastating for those experiencing them – and unfortunately all too common, affecting at least 1.25 million people in the UK.

‘Despite this, they’re under-researched and treatment services are underfunded. We sincerely hope these research projects will achieve their aims of preventing and improving the care of these complex mental illnesses. We thank the Medical Research Foundation for recognising the need for improved eating disorder care, and wish all the best to those completing the projects.’