Eating disorder awareness week March 2020

Mind charity are hosting an eating disorder awareness week stall in Sunderland to help fight the stigma and confusion shown around eating disorders.

The week starts on Monday March 2 and lasts until Friday March 8.

For anyone who might want some advice or even to just see some of the work The Mind charity are doing, Helen Lister, a Support Worker for Mind said: “We will have a stall on Monday March 2 at ASDA Leechmere from 10am – 2pm” on Monday March 2. The Mind charity offer services including counselling, mentoring and befriending, information leaflets and drop in sessions. Lister said: “We will be speaking to people and giving out information about our services.”

There are various different kinds of eating disorders which consists of but is not limited to, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

At the University of Sunderland the wellbeing team are on hand to help with issues staff and students may be facing. External services are also available which offer help to those in need. These services include Sunderland Headlight, who provide information and assistance. There are a wide range of events such as coffee mornings, gardening groups, free bingo and art groups.

Kayleigh White, a student from the University of Sunderland created a group on Facebook to give people a chance to talk openly about their struggles. She said: “There isn’t a lot of support online, my anxiety gets the better of me as I recently saw that Sunderland Mind do a food distress social group but to actually sit and talk to a group of people is like I’m going to be judged.

“For me, talking to people [online] would help knowing that I’m not alone.”

Kayleigh said “There should be more about eating disorders in the media as in this day and age we are all media focused. Normally it’s only in the media when someone has died from it.”

Many different charities are working in different ways to help combat the issue. The charity Beat Eating Disorders are offering fundraising packs with all the essentials to help the cause. All you need to do is sign up via their website. Beat estimates that in the UK around 1.25 million people are affected by some kind of eating disorder, 25 percent of which are male.

NHS research recently showed that around 6.4 percent of adults display signs of an eating disorder.

Reach Mind at : 0191 5657218