It's a deadly fallacy that eating disorders are a teenage illness

It's a deadly fallacy that eating disorders are a teenage illness Most patients with an eating disorder are adults. The lack of specialist services could prove fatal

Sophie* developed an eating disorder when she was 11 years old. With the help of child eating disorder services, she got better and by the age of 16 had achieved a stable weight. But her A-levels proved tough and she relapsed. This time, she had to face the challenge of navigating adult eating disorder services as a vulnerable teenager. When she was finally referred to me nearly eight months after her relapse, she was 19 years old with a BMI of nine.

I worked as a consultant psychiatrist in child eating disorders before moving to adult services in Oxford. When the government announced in the Five Year Forward View a £30m investment for eating disorders in child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) each year until 2021, I was delighted. We know early intervention offers the best chance of recovery and it’s great to see that 66 new specialist services have been set up across the country. Continue reading... The Guardian