Story
We are fundraising for Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity. Beat supports anyone with an eating disorder, their friends and family, as well as professionals working with or worried about an individual in their care.
The chances are, you either know someone, will know someone, or will experience an eating disorder yourself. Eating disorders come in all different shapes and sizes, different forms, and different symptoms. Not only do we want to raise funds to support BEAT, but we would also like to raise awareness of eating disorders and help open discussions.
Statistics taken from Priorygroup.com
Between 1.25 and 3.4 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder
Around 25% of those affected by an eating disorder are male
Most eating disorders develop during adolescence, although there are cases of eating disorders developing in children as young as 6 and in adults in their 70's
Eating disorder are most common in individuals between the ages of 16 and 40 years old
Around 10% of people affected by an eating disorder suffer from anorexia nervosa
The average age of onset for anorexia nervosa is 16-17 years old
40% of people affected by an eating disorder suffer from bulimia nervosa
The average age of onset for bulimia nervosa is 18-19 years old
The rest of sufferers fall into the BED or OSFED categories of eating disorders
Research suggests that individuals who have family members with eating disorders are more likely to develop eating disorders themselves when compared to individuals who have no family history of these illnesses
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rates among psychiatric disorders
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder in adolescence
The earlier that eating disorder treatment is sought, the better the sufferer’s chance of recovery
These serious mental illnesses include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. 1.25 million people in the UK have a diagnosed eating disorder. They affect people of all ages and backgrounds, and up to one in four sufferers are male.