Eating Disorders

For urgent support:

• If you are concerned about the safety of yourself or someone else, as a result of an eating disorder or otherwise, call 999 if you have an immediate concern for their safety.​

• You can also complete the Student Intervention Team referral form on the intranet if the situation involves:
   
• a significant change in behaviour relating to a mental health or wellbeing issue
• behaviour that could pose a risk to self, such as; self-harm, disordered eating and substance misuse; or a risk to others
• suicidal ideation including thoughts, plans or intent
• signs of paranoia or psychosis
• difficulty managing everyday activities, challenges engaging and seeking or adhering to support offered by other services

Your concerns will be picked up by the University's Student Intervention Team, who will respond to your query where possible within one day between 10:00 and 16:00 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) term time only.

• B-EAT Eating Disorders

This is a Helpline service that provides support and information 365 days a year. Call their Helpline on 0345 634 1414.

You can visit their website for more information and advice: www.b-eat.co.uk

• You may also want to visit the Student Minds website which has a lot of information on how to seek help with eating disorders and who else may be able to assist you.

For additional help with an eating disorder, you can also visit your GP who can provide you with information and support.

Eating disorders are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behaviour. A 2015 report commissioned by Beat (A UK based eating disorder charity) estimates more than 725,000 people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder.

There are different types of eating disorder;

• Anorexia nervosa – The condition often develops out of an anxiety about body shape and weight that originates from a fear of being fat or a desire to be thin. Many people with anorexia have a distorted image of themselves, thinking they're fat when they're not.
• Bulimia – People who have bulimia try to control their weight by severely restricting the amount of food they eat, then binge eating and purging the food from their body by making themselves vomit or using laxatives.
• Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – Binge eating is an eating disorder where a person feels compelled to overeat on a regular basis through regular binges. People who binge eat consume very large quantities of food over a short period of time, even when they are not hungry.

As with other eating disorders, bulimia nervosa can be associated with:

• Low self-esteem
• Alcohol misuse
• Depression
• Self-harm

There are a number of sources you can refer to if you or a friend are suffering with an eating disorder.