Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2019

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 27 February 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Rona Mackay Rona Mackay Scottish National Party

I thank my colleague Emma Harper for bringing this important debate to the chamber.

I am pleased to be able to contribute to it.

Most of us will know someone who has suffered from an eating disorder and the heartache that it has caused them and their family and friends. The misery that is caused to the individual sufferer is immense, but the pain that is felt by family members must be overwhelming. We can imagine watching a loved one inflict such an amount of self-harm that their life is endangered while we have to look on, helpless. As Emma Harper said, a former MSP colleague, Dennis Robertson, knows only too well of that pain. Although I do not know Dennis, my thoughts are with him and his family.

Many decades ago, two of my school friends suffered from anorexia nervosa throughout their teens. I spoke of them when I took part in our debate on this subject last year. In that debate, we highlighted the immensely damaging culture that glorifies thinness, which results in body dissatisfaction, mainly affecting young girls, and has devastating effects. I echo Emma Harper’s comments about the influence of social media nowadays.

In 2017-18, 536 people across Scotland were treated for an eating disorder. Studies tell us that the rate of eating disorders in teenage girls may be as high as 12 per cent and that the rate of male eating disorders is increasing alarmingly.

What are eating disorders? The most common conditions are anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. Some 40 per cent of those who are affected by an eating disorder are bulimic. Eating disorders are more common in young women, but there has been a 76 per cent rise in the number of middle-aged women with eating disorders.

What can be done to reverse the trend and start making a difference? Research suggests that the earlier eating disorder treatment is sought, the better the sufferer’s chance of recovery will be. These disorders are rarely about food or thinness. Instead, these unhealthy behaviours are coping mechanisms for stress and overwhelming emotion, which is why early access to mental health services and appropriate treatment is crucial.

I am pleased that the Scottish Government has announced new guidelines for doctors to support the treatment and care of patients with eating disorders. The announcement marked the start of eating disorders awareness week 2019. The campaign is organised by the national eating disorders charity Beat, which does a marvellous job in highlighting awareness and reducing the stigma around eating disorders.