‘Worrying’ Trend: Number of Children with Eating Disorders Doubles in Six Years as Experts Blame Social Media
- Last year, 11,800 young people were treated for eating disorders, compared to 5,240 in 2016-2017
- NHS targets state that 95% of urgent cases should be seen within a week of referral
- In the third quarter of 2022-23, only 78% of urgent cases were seen within the recommended timeframe
New analysis reveals that the number of children with eating disorders has doubled in the past six years.
Experts attribute this worrying trend to the influence of social media. Last year, 11,800 children and young people received treatment for eating disorders, a significant increase from 5,240 in 2016-17.
Disturbingly, almost half (45%) of these individuals had to wait more than 12 weeks before starting treatment, indicating a threefold rise in delayed care over the same period.
While most of those hospitalized are girls and young women, the analysis by the Children’s Commissioner shows that the number of boys and young men needing hospital treatment has also doubled in the same timeframe.
The Children’s Commissioner for England has pointed fingers at websites that promote harmful eating disorder content online, emphasizing the need to address this worrying trend.
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