1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder right now – but behind everyone is a network of loved ones struggling too. Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) is hosted by BEAT and runs from 26th February – 3rd March 2024.
An eating disorder is a mental illness. Food is used to try to manage feelings. If you have an eating disorder, you will have an unhealthy relationship with food. This may be eating too much or too little food. You may become obsessed with food and your eating patterns if you have an eating disorder.
Anyone can develop an eating disorder. It doesn’t matter what your age, gender, cultural or racial background is.
“The BEAT charity has put together a simple checklist to help people spot possible eating disorders and I’d suggest that if you do just one thing for Eating Disorder Week it would be to familiarise yourself with it.”
o Lips – Are they obsessive about food?
o Flips – Is their behaviour changing?
o Hips – Do they have distorted beliefs about their body size?
o Kips – Are they often tired or struggling to concentrate?
o Nips – Do they disappear to the toilet after meals?
o Skips – Have they started exercising excessively?
You can find more information on spotting an eating disorder on the BEAT website at https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/tips
