Last week, not only did we see a New Prime Minister in number 10, but we saw the Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention,Jackie Doyle-Price, resign. Whatever we feel about this, we still have a huge amount of work to do; we need to get this issue back on the agenda with her replacement, and make sure that this change does not impact the incredible progress we have made.
 
This is why I am getting in touch- to ask all of you to take action today and do two things, to try and keep up the momentum we have gained, and to keep up the pressure;
 
There are two options. Firstly, on your social channels, please copy and paste the below – This will take you 30 seconds!
 
Turning people with #eatingdisordersaway from support because of their BMI is a complete injustice! We must change this NOW! @NadineDorries@10DowningStreetwill you act NOW and support @HopeVirgo’s petition to #DumpTheScaleshttps://www.change.org/p/eating-disorders-are-not-just-about-weight-dumpthescales
 
Secondly, if you are able to, please copy and paste the letter at the bottom of this email and send it to Nadine Dorries on dorriesn@parliament.uk- this will take you 2 minutes max so please do give it a go! There’s no harm in personalising it too!
 
Just before this all happened, we really were making significant progress. We need to make sure that this stays on the Government’s agenda because too many people with eating disorders both children and adults are still getting turned away from services for not having a low enough BMI.
 
Thank you for your ongoing support!
 
 
 
Dear Nadine Dorries,

I am writing in support of the #DumpTheScales campaign led by author and Mental Health campaigner Hope Virgo, and I hope you are able to support the campaign too.

The aim of the campaign is to end the injustices that people with eating disorders face, so everyone can get support they need.

Currently sufferers of eating disorders are being turned away from treatment as a result of their BMI not being low enough. This is not acceptable.

Sufferers should be judged on their mental state, not their physical weight.

We are calling for the government to implement the NICE guidelines through clear communications, GP and clinical training, to ensure that those suffering with Eating Disorders get the treatment they deserve, before it gets to crisis point.
There are over 1.6million people in the UK that have an Eating Disorder. This is not an issue that will go away, but with effective preventative strategies that stop people from getting to crisis point, we have the opportunity to save lives, and to save the NHS money.

You can contact Hope to meet with her, to ask for more information on the campaign, or for template press releases, by emailing her at hopevirgo@hotmail.com

In the meantime, I will be, alongside Hope, encouraging everyone I know to sign the #DumpTheScales petition, and to get in contact with both you and their local MPs, to keep this on the agenda.
 
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses and are currently not getting the treatment, commitment and support needed.