It can sometimes feel like we are taking steps backwards, and I want to take some time to share the real progress that is happening in eating disorder care and the steps that give me hope for a better future in this space.
As someone who has lived with an eating disorder and now has the privilege of leading this charity, I understand how difficult the news, pop culture, and the online world can be. So, this regular blog will be a chance to hear about what is happening to bring us one step closer to our mission, to ensure everyone gets the care they deserve.
In April, I joined a march from London's Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square, organised by activist group Dump the Scales. It is the second year in a row I have joined this important event, and this time I was joined by my partner, Liam, who, like me, has his own lived experience of an eating disorder.
This year's march was particularly important because Dump the Scales and the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eating Disorders – of which we are a member – launched a petition for a National Strategy on Eating Disorders, and First Steps ED is backing this call.
The demand is for a fully funded, cross-government strategy that:
- Provides dedicated support for all eating disorder diagnoses, including Binge Eating Disorder and ARFID
- Invests in early intervention and prevention
- Addresses workforce shortages and ensures proper training
- Tackles inequalities in access and outcomes and supports families so they are not alone
- Commits to long-term, sustainable funding
- Ensures eating disorders are rightly treated as a public health emergency
- Ensures treatment models are disability- and neurodiversity-informed
At First Steps ED, we see these challenges daily, and right now we rely on donations to fill gaps in care. A national strategy has the potential to shine a light on these gaps in care and put an end to the treatment postcode lottery – it would support our aims to ensure everyone with an eating disorder gets the care they need.
You can support the call for a national strategy here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/lives-are-being-lost-eating-disorders-need-action
On top of this, the march reinforced to me the power of working together. I went there representing our backing for the strategy, and I marched with our vital partners at REDCAN, SWEDA, Beat, Full of Beans and within the NHS.
Along the route, I found an even larger network and ended up marching with individuals who had been supported by First Steps ED, as well as those currently receiving support. I also met family members of those we have supported. I then joined forces with new partners such as Body Happy Org, ARFID Awareness UK, and many more.
Now is the moment for change. The energy behind prioritising eating disorders is rippling through all areas of the country and government, and I am so grateful to our network, and particularly to Dump the Scales, for amplifying this message.
