Isle of Wight West MP Richard Quigley has urged the Government to increase funding for eating disorder research following a meeting with Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock, leading charity BEAT, and campaigner Hope Virgo.
The meeting, held on Tuesday (21st October), focused on the urgent need for more targeted investment to improve early intervention, treatment outcomes and long-term recovery for people living with eating disorders.
It followed a question Mr Quigley raised in Parliament on 22nd July, where he highlighted the significant gap between the prevalence of eating disorders and the level of research funding they receive.
During that debate, he said:
“Eating disorders cost the UK an estimated £9 billion each year, yet research into these serious conditions receives just 1% of all mental health research funding. That is despite eating disorders affecting around 9% of people with mental health conditions.”
Speaking after the meeting, Richard Quigley MP said:
“We cannot continue to overlook eating disorders in our mental health strategy. The human and economic cost is too great. I will keep pressing the Government to ensure funding reflects the scale and seriousness of these conditions.”
The discussion also recognised the vital work of BEAT and campaigner Hope Virgo in raising awareness and pushing for national policy change.
Hope Virgo said:
“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that deserve proper recognition and action. Over the last few years the situation for those affected has got worse. The harrowing reality right now is people are unable to get treatment, people are being labelled as untreatable and people are dying. It’s brilliant working with Richard on the APPG to help transform services.”
Mr Quigley has reaffirmed his commitment to improving support for those affected by eating disorders, particularly patients on the Isle of Wight, where access to specialist inpatient treatment can be more challenging due to the need to travel to mainland facilities.
He said he will continue to work closely with campaigners and charities to ensure mental health funding is allocated fairly and reflects the true scale of the challenge faced by those living with eating disorders.
The irony…..
You need plenty of that in your diet……
waste of money, this is just for the attention seeking molly coddled again isn’t it. Am I being harsh? No not really.
I can say a few things about this.
No.1 stop opening fast food outlets this encourages poor
eating.
No.2 unlike politicians who get their meals bought for
them on expenses, many of whom are living it up on
gorgeous juicy steaks in swanky restaurants washed down
by expensive wines.
No.3 if digital ID’s go ahead in the long term if they are
actioned like they are in China, persons will not be able to
keep eating unhealthy food.
Their carbon footprint will be monitored.
The next 4 years will be very interesting
3.1 Million children under the age of five die each year of malnutrition globally. There is no shortage of food in the uk. These people in the uk need to be sent to a country to experience what real eating disorders are, rather than their 1st world, whiny complaints, surrounded by an abundance of food.
You are so right about the irony of eating disorders when people are starving around the world, Islandr. But like OCD and other mental problems, eating disorders are real to the people who have them. Not wanting to sound callous or simplistic, but all mental problems and conditions are, by definition, in the mind. I should know, having varied in weight between ten and twenty two stones as an adult