Whatever your political views and feelings are about the election result one thing is clear! We must ensure that eating disorders stay on the political agenda. This is why I am getting in touch - to ask all of you to take action today and do two (or three) things, to try and keep up the momentum we have gained, and to keep up the pressure.
There are three things you can do to help end the injustices faced by so many.
Firstly, on your social channels, please copy and paste the below – This will take you 30 seconds!
Turning people with #eatingdisorders away from support because of their BMI is a complete injustice! We must change this NOW! @BorisJohnson @10DowningStreet will you act NOW and support @HopeVirgo’s petition to #DumpTheScales https://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 your local MP - this will take you 2 minutes max so please do give it a go and don’t forget to add your address! There’s no harm in personalising it too!
Thirdly, if you have your own experiences that you would like to share with me (anonymous or named) please do send me your story. It would be great if you could include your age and location.
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! I am not going to stop fighting until this changes!
Follow me over on Instagram: “HopeVirgo_” to keep up to date with daily announcements about the campaign
Dear [INSERT LOCAL MP]
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.
People with eating disorders 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.