Cost of living crisis fuelling a rise in eating disorders

A charity has warned that the number of people struggling with a ‘morbid preoccupation with food’ is likely to soar as basic necessities become increasingly unaffordable across the country.

According to Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, around 1.25 million British citizens are suffering from anorexia, bulimia, or avoidant restrictive food intake disorder at any one time.

This figure increased significantly among young people and children during the pandemic, 10,000 of whom were forced to seek treatment between April and December 2021 in order to cope with triggers brought on by disrupted routines, social isolation, and high stress levels.

Not only this, but hospital admissions for people with eating disorders in England alone have reportedly risen 84 per cent in the last five years.

And now, Beat is warning that the cost of living crisis – caused by escalating inflation which has ramped up food and drink prices some 15 per cent – will likely induce a dramatic spike in the number of people struggling with a ‘morbid preoccupation with food.’

‘If someone is vulnerable to an eating disorder or if they’ve had an eating disorder in the past, skipping meals could be a real trigger for them to relapse or even trigger the start of an eating disorder,’ says Beat’s clinical director, Jess Griffiths.

‘Disordered eating and eating disorders are about a morbid preoccupation around food and weight. Any scarcity or deprivation is most likely going to increase that preoccupation.’

With energy bills, rent, and basic necessities growing more unaffordable by the day, the situation has already driven millions to hunger across the country.