Beat, the charity for people affected by eating disorders is asking the nation to break the silence this week and raise awareness of eating disorders from 20th-27th February. They are launching fundraising and social media campaigns encouraging people across the UK to tweet and donate to help their worthy cause. Care UK is also raising awareness through Twitter and will be holding an interview a day with people suffering from eating disorders who are less well known.
Males and long-term sufferers are rarely talked about but eating disorders in these groups are increasingly common; according to anorexia & bulimia care, the UK has the highest rate of eating disorders in Europe and it is estimated that over 11 million people have psychological problems connected to food in the UK. 
Dr Barbara Pearlman, Clinical Psychologist at the Royal Free Hospital, London writes that eating disorders are not due to the desire to look like a model but are due to sufferers attempting to remove negative emotions such as anxiety or stress. She treats patients using Internal Language Enhancement, a new way of treating eating disorders by helping patients to find their triggers and process their emotions in a different way.
If you would like to discuss your (or a family member/friend’s) eating disorder with Dr Pearlman, please click here.
