Let’s Talk About Eating Disorders

Research tells us that eating disorders affect 1.6 million people in the UK. Mental illnesses do not discriminate; they can and do affect anyone.

Eating disorders are a serious mental health issue and like many other forms of mental health they can prove very hard for people to talk about. It is claimed that eating disorders are one of the most common mental health issues in females aside from depression; however it is incorrect to think they are solely a female issue. The problem of men and eating disorders appears to be even more of a taboo subject.

Eating disorders are often part of everyday conversations. I hear comments around skipping meals, obsessive dieting and general anxiety around food. This may well sound dramatic and uncommon but it is not unusual. So, why are we not talk about eating disorders more?

When there are magazines encouraging us to ‘love our bodies’ but then on the next page telling us how to lose significant amounts of weight in a short period of time, ultimately our heads are filled with very confused messages – am I supposed to be confident in the way I look or desperately obsessed with losing more and more weight?

Due to this very reason, I have created a group of student volunteers to raise awareness of eating disorders on campus. We are working alongside the local charity First Steps in doing this. The purpose of this group is to raise awareness to students about the support available for those who are struggling with issues surrounding eating disorders, to enable people to know that there is help for them.

Our first event arranged from this volunteering group will be on Wednesday 25th February during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. We will be based in the triangle in the atrium at the University’s Kedleston Road site, raising awareness of eating disorders. You can come and see us on this day or drop me an email at vpwelfare@udsu.co.uk if you would like more information.