Edward has added his support to calls by leading UK eating disorder charity, Beat, for a focus on early intervention and treatment for people with eating disorders.
Beat is one of the UK's leading eating disorder charities, and launched its new research, ‘Delaying for years, denied for months’ on the impact of delayed treatment for eating disorders sufferers and their families, at an event in Parliament attended by Edward and MPs of all parties. Beat's research is focussed on where the delays in finding treatment lie, with their analysis of 1478 survey respondents finding that on average, it takes sufferers over 18 months to realise they have an eating disorder and over a year following this before they seek help, with an additional wait between first seeing a GP and getting the treatment they need.
Successfully treating anorexia becomes harder after 3 years so this wait means that many people are seeking help when their illness is still highly treatable, but not receiving it until later, when the likely outcome can be more negative.
Edward said: “I am delighted to support Beat in calling for early intervention for eating disorders. It is vital that we raise awareness of eating disorders and ensure that adequate treatment is available for everyone who needs it. I am pleased to support Beat’s work highlighting the importance of spotting the first signs of eating disorders to ensure people access the help they need very early on.”