One in 50 people in the UK experience an eating disorder at some point in their life, many of whom are adolescents and young people. If action is taken and problems are addressed early enough, further long-term damage and problems can be prevented.
Many people think an eating disorder is just to do with food, but it’s actually a mental health condition and the eating behaviours and patterns can negatively affect physical and mental health. It’s important to act fast to address the problems people are facing and to take the right course of action.
Nick Wolstenholme, Consultant Psychiatrist at TEWV
It’s essential to educate and encourage young people, parents and carers, GPs and other healthcare professionals to recognise the early stages of an eating disorder. By having a better understanding, they will be able to seek help sooner and hopefully prevent any further chronic long-term conditions from developing.. Research shows that if you can reach and engage with someone within the first three years of their problems starting, you have a much better chance of reversing any damage the illness can cause to a person’s brain or body.
Dr Andrew Brittlebank, consultant psychiatrist at, CNTW
The Trusts, who work in partnership as the North East and North Cumbria Eating Disorder Provider Collaborative, have compiled some simple advice and guidance for people regarding what to look for and how to seek support.
Eating disorder signs and symptoms
It can be very difficult to identify whether a loved one or friend has developed an eating disorder. Warning signs and symptoms to look out for include:
- Spending a lot of time worrying about weight and body shape
- Avoiding socialising where food will be involved or eating with others
- Eating very little food or skipping meals
- Excessive exercising
- Eating a lot of food very fast or cutting food into small pieces and eating slowly
- Wearing loose or baggy clothing to hide weight loss
- Frequent trips to bathroom after meals
- Dramatic weight loss
There are some other, more generalised symptoms that can also sometimes be found in eating disorders. These might include:
- Feeling cold, tired or dizzy
- Pains, tingling or numbness in arms and legs (poor circulation)
- Lack of interest in friends or usual activities
- Changes to skin, teeth and hair
- Problems with digestion, such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
- Changes in mood such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed
- Difficulty concentrating or sleep problems
If you think you or someone you know need help or support it’s important to contact your GP as soon as possible.
You can also view our three short videos that explain what an eating disorder is, symptoms to look out for and how to seek support
Tom’s story
Tom Rebair, a young man from Newcastle who has struggled with anorexia, now campaigns to raise awareness of the disorder.
In a blog post about his own experiences of an eating disorder, and what signs to watch out for in yourself and others, he says: “If you are going through this, or have gone through it in the past, you might feel like you’re doing this alone and nobody knows how it feels. But you’re not! I’ve been there, and so have lots of other people. You can get through it and become a much stronger person for it.” He encourages people to reach out for professional help if they are struggling.
FREED (First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders Pathway)
In July 2021, TEWV became one of 18 accelerated implementation sites across England for the FREED (First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders) pathway. FREED is an innovative service for 16 to 25-year-olds who have had an eating disorder for three years or less. It enables rapid access to specialised treatment which gives special attention to challenges young people face during these years of their life, and in the early stages of an eating disorder.
Under the FREED approach, people referred to TEWV’s eating disorder services in County Durham and Tees Valley are contacted by a dedicated eating disorder nurse within 48 hours of referral to talk about their condition and put in place next steps in terms of care and treatment. Anyone needing specialist secondary mental health care then receives treatment within four weeks to provide help and support and quickly as possible.
We’ve implemented the FREED pathway across children’s and adult services in order to reach 16–25-year-olds and to date this has helped over 60 young people to receive quick access to specialist eating disorder treatment and support.
TEWV Senior Eating Disorders Practitioner, David Tate
Following the success of the pathway in TEWV’s North East services, there is a shared commitment and drive to further embed the FREED approach across the North East and North Cumbria.
We are excited to be working closely with TEWV and our Clinical Commissioning Groups to implement the FREED model across the communities we serve. The evidence is clear that the earlier we can provide people with support, the better outcomes they can have. In North Cumbria our teams are applying FREED principles to fast-track people struggling with eating disorders into assessment and treatment, and we have also established a dedicated Community Adult Eating Disorder Service working within our Community Mental Health Teams across the north east – and more work is underway to further embed the FREED model throughout our services.
Andrew McMinn, Associate Director for Neurological and Specialist Services at CNTW
Ensuring the right early care for young people with an eating disorder is vital and the FREED approach aims to overcome barriers to early treatment and recovery, as well as bridging the gap between child and adult services.We are delighted to have supported TEWV to become an accelerated implementation site for the FREED approach across both its children’s and adult services. It is a credit to all involved that this has been implemented during times of extremely high pressure both on services and on the people who use them. The progress made to date by the team at TEWV to implement FREED has been fantastic, and it’s incredibly encouraging to see the benefits it is already bringing to people accessing the service. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our regional partners to further embed the approach across the North East and North Cumbria.
Paul Johnson, Mental Health Workstream Lead at the Academic Health Science Network North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC), which is supporting regional partners to take the FREED approach forward
Learn more about the FREED approach from some of the FREED Champions across the UK in the video below.
If you are worried you may have an eating disorder or concerned someone you know might have an eating disorder, please speak to your GP or local mental health service.
