Diabulimia must be medically recognised

2 Nov 2017

The Scottish Conservatives have called on diabulimia to be medically recognised by the NHS

Speaking in a debate on her motion regarding Raising Awareness of Diabulimia, Annie Wells highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness of the condition.

Diabulimia is an eating disorder which involves a person with Type 1 diabetes omitting insulin to lose weight.

It is estimated to affect around 40% of young women aged 15-30 and 11% of teenage boys with Type 1 diabetes, yet is not officially-recognised-medically, despite the threat it poses to its victims.

Statistics have shown that while the 10-year mortality rate for people with diabetes is 2 per 1000 people and for anorexia, 7 per 1000 people, diabulimics face a much higher mortality rate of 35 per 1000 people affected.

Scottish Conservative public health spokesman Annie Wells MSP said:

“Diabulimia is an extremely serious condition, and we need to urgently raise awareness of it.

“However despite the number of people who suffer from it, and the high mortality rate, there are no current NHS guidelines on how to deal with the issue.

“Currently patients are not always treated with the interdisciplinary approach that is needed, and we have to see more integrated thinking across the country when it comes to diabulimia.

“By having this condition officially medically recognised, I believe this would be a major step forward in helping raise awareness of the disorder as well as help to gain better support for those living with diabulimia.”