Donate
Looking for eating disorder support in your area? Visit HelpFinder

34% of adults unable to name any signs or symptoms of eating disorders

EDAW: Beat calls upon the Government and NHS to increase awareness  

More than one in three adults (34%) in the UK, who gave an answer, could not name any signs or symptoms of eating disorders, according to a survey conducted by YouGov.  

The eating disorder charity Beat, which commissioned the research, links low awareness of the early signs with delayed treatment and increased risk of the illness becoming severe and enduring.  

These results are unveiled to mark the beginning of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW), as Beat calls on the Government and NHS to extend their focus on early intervention, supporting measures to increase awareness of the early signs and symptoms of eating disorders. 

18% said they ‘did not know’, any signs or symptoms, 14% listed an eating disorder diagnosis like ‘bulimia’ or ‘anorexia’ rather than a sign or symptom and 1% gave an incorrect answer.  
The survey, that polled over 2,000 adults in the UK, also found that, of respondents who gave a correct answer, they were twice as likely to list weight loss or being thin (62%) as a sign over any other.  

In fact, many people affected by eating disorders will remain at a normal weight, or even gain weight and for those who do lose weight, it is a physical sign which will appear once the mental illness is ingrained. 

The lack of awareness about this complex mental health issue was further highlighted by the fact that, on average, of those who gave a correct answer, people could only list three signs and symptoms out of a potential 68 identified by Beat and 79% were not able to name a psychological symptom, which usually appear first, such as low confidence and self-esteem and a distorted perception of weight or shape. 

The results confirm research conducted by Beat last year: not knowing how to spot the signs of eating disorders early is one of the main factors that leads to sufferers facing a three-and-a-half-year delay between falling ill and starting treatment.  

Beat believes that more needs to be done to encourage people to get help and support faster. For this reason, the charity is calling on the Government and NHS to promote the importance of spotting the early signs and symptoms of eating disorders. 

Beat Chief Executive Andrew Radford said: “This research has showed us that in the UK many people still do not know how to identify an eating disorder in its early stages. 

“These results are worrying because we know lack of awareness can stop sufferers getting the treatment they desperately need as soon as possible.  

“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses and when people are treated quickly after falling ill, they are much more likely to have a fast and sustained recovery. Today, we are asking that the Government and NHS invest in measures to increase awareness of the early signs and symptoms, heightened awareness will not only improve outcomes for those suffering but also prove cost effective for the services treating patients.”   

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Privacy Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Location storage

ON
OFF

When searching for local services, the postcode used is converted to latitude and longitude coordinates in order to find the nearest services. This information may be stored in order to display the distance from services on their respective pages.

Analytics cookies

ON
OFF

When you visit our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your journey through the website. This information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add-on for all popular browsers.

Marketing cookies

ON
OFF

When you visit our website we use a Facebook Pixel to collect information on your journey through the website. This information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.