Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to lead this debate during eating disorders awareness week, which runs from 2 to 8 March. This year, the focus is “Why Wait?” I thank colleagues from across the Parliament who signed my motion. For many years, our debates on the subject were proposed by a former member of the Scottish Parliament, Dennis Robertson, who has been a real champion for eating disorders and has undoubtedly played his part in putting the subject on the political agenda. He has been so brave in highlighting that his daughter Caroline died because of an eating disorder. I am aware that he will be listening to the debate.

I particularly thank both the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group and Beat, which are represented in the public gallery. Emma Broadhurst from Beat, who has been extremely helpful as I prepared for the debate, has asked for members who speak, if they can attend, to gather for a photo call after the debate. Both charities do fantastic work day in, day out supporting those who are affected by eating disorders, their loved ones and their families.

About 1.25 million people across the UK are living with an eating disorder, and the number is on the increase. Figures show that, in 2018-19, 726 people in Scotland alone were treated for an eating disorder, compared with 436 in 2008-09. Although it is welcome that more people are receiving treatment, it is of course concerning that more people are presenting with eating disorders. It is therefore right that the Scottish Government is taking the issue seriously and has introduced a range of measures to allow for quicker treatment of eating disorders. I will touch on that later.

The definition of an eating disorder is when someone develops an unhealthy attitude to food. It can take over their life and make them very ill. Eating disorders come in various forms, from anorexia, where people try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating and even overexercising, to bulimia, where people lose control, eat a lot of food in a short time and then make themselves vomit, purging what has been consumed.

A very dangerous eating disorder is diabulimia, which occurs when people with type 1 diabetes—I am a type 1 diabetic—deliberately omit their insulin in order to control their weight. That is very dangerous, as elevated blood glucose can lead to ketoacidosis. I congratulate Diabetes Scotland on its work on diabulimia and encourage anyone who is interested to have a look at its advice and support information.

The key symptoms of the disorders include excessive worrying about weight and body shape; avoiding social situations in which food may be involved; frequently visiting the toilet after meals and returning looking flushed; and not being upfront about what food may be being consumed. It is important for family members, friends and colleagues to be aware of those tell-tale signs.

Eating disorders are complex disorders that can be influenced by many factors. Research has shown that there is a link between eating disorders and depression, low confidence and low self-esteem, and research by many universities and groups continues to point to the relationship between social media and eating disorders, particularly among young people. Social media sites allow young people the opportunity to connect with others on multiple platforms and venues. That is great, as it allows connections to be made and ideas, knowledge and information to be shared. However, as I am sure that members will be aware, social media can also be a dangerous platform for hate and discrimination. Seeing dieting ads or frequently being exposed to images that may provoke body image concerns can be damaging and dangerous to young people. In some cases, the ads and posts may lead to young people developing an eating disorder and put many others into the at-risk category. Social media interactions are often an extension of an adolescent’s life, so being aware of online safety and the issues that young people may face online is so important for families and friends. I ask the Scottish Government to keep that in mind when overseeing the development of any proposed guidance.

I was pleased to hear the Scottish Government’s announcement this week that eating disorder services will be subject to a national review that is designed to assess and improve support for people who are living with an eating disorder. The review is due to publish its findings in spring next year, with the aim of providing a full picture of the current support that is available for those with an eating disorder. It will then offer recommendations to inform improvement work throughout 2021.

The review forms part of a programme of work to improve performance in mental health waiting times and to support early intervention in community settings and across the third sector, local government and the national health service. Work on the review will last for six months and will commence following the publication of the mental welfare commission’s report on eating disorder services, which is expected this summer. The MWC report will be used as a solid foundation for the review and for future work on eating disorder support services. As co-convener of the mental health cross-party group, I look forward to continuing to monitor the work, and perhaps we will review eating disorders and the continued work of the Government at one of our meetings.

Recently, I contacted the dietetic team at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, which has a dietician who works specifically with people living with, or at risk of developing, diabulimia, anorexia or other eating disorders. I was interested to hear that, because of Dumfries and Galloway’s rurality, some people who are at risk of developing an eating disorder may not be picked up as easily or may be reluctant to access support because of the travel that is involved in attending appointments. I highlighted that issue in the debate last year; I am pleased that it is specifically addressed in the new package of support, but I again ask the minister to ensure that people in hard-to-reach rural areas are supported.

I will briefly mention the Scottish Government’s mental health strategy and the children and young people’s mental health task force, which was chaired until recently by Dr Catherine Calderwood. The strategy acknowledges the crucial role that the third sector plays in supporting people, providing services and carrying out research. We need to remember the third sector and how important it is that it can contribute. I was therefore pleased to see that all those points will form a large part of the review work that is being carried out.

I again welcome the opportunity to lead this important debate, and I look forward to hearing from other members.