Huge rise in people treated for eating disorders

1 Nov 2017

The number of Scottish patients treated for eating disorders has increased by two-thirds in the space of a decade, official figures have revealed.

Two people a day are now admitted to hospital for conditions like anorexia and bulimia.

According the Scottish Government statistics, 726 people were treated in 2015/16, the most recent year for which data is available.

That compares to 436 in 2005/06, a rise of 66 per cent.

And while the numbers dropped marginally from the previous year, some health boards saw record admission rates.

The figures were published following a parliamentary question by shadow health secretary Miles Briggs.

Health boards in Glasgow, Grampian, the Highlands and Tayside were among those to have record numbers in 2015/16.

Tomorrow, Scottish Conservative mental health spokeswoman Annie Wells will stage a members’ debate on diabulimia, an eating disorder which affects patients with type one diabetes.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

“People will be shocked to see just how much of a problem eating disorders have become in recent years.

“It’s clear we all need to do much more to tackle these problems before it gets so serious someone has to be hospitalised.

“The statistics are there for everyone to see – in the space of a decade the scale of this problem has increased by two-thirds.

“It’s time for all parties to work together to investigate how better to help people struggling with these conditions, particularly from a young age.

“This very much ties into the mental health agenda, and these numbers should remind us all that this is another major challenge facing hundreds of people across the country.”

To see a full copy of the statistics, visit:
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/s5w-11668.pdf