Right now with eating disorders sky rocketing, and the access to treatment being so inadequate we need to be making so much more noise around eating disorders! And we, at Hearts Minds and Genes need your help! 

Below is a draft letter to copy, paste and email over to Sajid Javid! Please do personalise it and add your stories in too! 

Thank you so so much! 

Letter to Sajid Javid (sajid.javid.mp@parliament.uk and https://contactus.dhsc.gov.uk/ 

Dear Mr Javid, 

Congratulations on your appointment to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

In response to rising eating disorder rates and the upcoming obesity strategy, a new group, Hearts Minds and Genes has formed to work with government to ensure the complex interface between eating disorders and obesity is fully understood; and that appropriate measures are put in place to tackle eating disorders across the country. Hope Virgo of Dump the Scales Chairs the coalition.

The coalition met on Wednesday 30 June 2021 for a Roundtable Discussion co-chaired by Hope Virgo and John McDonnell MP to discuss the current landscape around Eating Disorders.

We have concerns for those affected by Eating Disorders, the strict criteria to access support services and the long-term implications for those who don’t get the support they need.

Eating Disorders are a growing problem. The recent 2019 Health Survey found that 16% of adults aged 16 and over (19% of women and 13% of men) screened positive for a possible eating disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted eating disorder rates with 16% of the total population affected - an increase of 266% compared to pre-pandemic rates.

The pandemic has led to a large number of new cases of Eating Disorders but has also had a detrimental impact on those already suffering with eating disorders and those in recovery. Eating Disorders have the highest mortality of any mental illness and are a hidden epidemic.

We are urging you to:

1.     Review the suggested recommendations that you have been sent from Hope Virgo, the Hearts Minds and Genes Coalition and John Mcdonnell MP

2.     Take action to prevent high eating disorder levels for the next generation including evaluating the upcoming obesity strategy

3.     Increase access to services and treatment

We urge you to meet with the co-chairs of the Hearts, Minds coalition at your earliest convenience to discuss how rising eating disorder rates can be tackled in the context of the aftermath of COVID-19, the upcoming obesity strategy, and the enormous rise in cases. If we don't tackle this problem now, the rise in eating disorder cases may not dissipate but instead become a new normal. 

I look forward to your response and to hear what you are doing to tackle this 

Thank you