CYP Now - How policymakers should respond to the rise in eating disordersrehand

The number of young people being treated for eating disorders has doubled in the past six years. Alongside this exponential increase in cases is a rise in wait times on the NHS, too, as they struggle to deal with the influx in the face of government cuts and the cost-of-living crisis.

In 2022/23 11,800 children began NHS treatment for an eating disorder, Harley says. Picture Adobe Stock

To get to the bottom of what’s going on and why so many young people are developing eating disorders, we’ve got the latest clinical take.

Why are more young people developing eating disorders?

Between 2016 and 2017, 5,240 young people began treatment for an eating disorder on the NHS. By 2022/2023, that number has soared to 11,800.

There are a number of factors that could be driving up the cases of eating disorders among young people. One that’s widely considered as a definite cause is social media.

62 per cent of young people aged three to 17 had a social media profile, with a whopping 33 per cent of five- to seven-year-olds using the different platforms.

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