Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, rose to the floor in Westminster Hall last week to lend his support to Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2013.
Eating Disorders Awareness Week is
a week long campaign run by the charity Beat which encourages people to spread
the message that ‘Everybody knows somebody’. Over 1.6 million people in the UK
are affected by eating disorders of some kind, including people from all ages
and backgrounds.
In a personal and emotive speech,
Mr Metcalfe reflected on the danger posed by all eating disorders but was
particularly shocked by the statistic which shows that of all the mental
illnesses, Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate.
Mr Metcalfe
said: “At 20%, Anorexia not only exceeds the death rate of other eating
disorders, but of all other mental illnesses. The number of people suffering
with some form of eating disorder in my constituency could be as high as 7,000
– that’s almost 1 in 10, yet I have never been contacted on the issue. I can
only assume that either the service provision is excellent, or more worryingly,
that people are suffering in silence.”
When made aware of the potential
numbers of hidden sufferers, Stephen raised the issue with his own children who
admitted they had personal experience of the pressure which leads to disordered
eating.
He added: "It was a truly
sobering thought that an issue which has a mortality rate of 20% was
potentially impacting my own family. I suddenly realised the issue wasn't
just one about teenage girls feeling self-conscious. Eating disorders are
seriously debilitating diseases affecting all ages and both sexes - including
young men like my son. I knew then I wanted to show some support for the campaign
to raise awareness of eating disorders, and tell my constituents 'please don't
suffer alone’”.
Hospital admissions for eating
disorders amongst males has risen by 67% in the past ten years and men are less
likely to seek help than women. Gay and bisexual men are twice as likely to
suffer from an eating disorder than heterosexual men demonstrating that these
diseases are indiscriminate.
Mr Metcalfe has called for greater
awareness of the issues which underpin eating disorders, and for the NHS to provide
better services when they are needed, particularly for sufferers of
Anorexia.
He added: “Anorexia kills 1 in 5 of
those who suffer from it, and nearly half never fully recover. Given these
shocking statistics, and the growing incidences of eating disorders such as
Anorexia, we need to urgently tackle the underlying causes and enable people to
quickly access the help they need.”
“The sooner someone is diagnosed,
the more likely they are to fully recover so this is an issue that we all need
to have greater awareness of. I would encourage anyone who is struggling to
access the services they need to get in touch. No one should be suffering alone
or in silence.”
