Admissions for eating disorders rise among ethnic minorities

Analysis of NHS data suggests that the number of hospital admissions for eating disorders is rising at a faster rate among people from ethnic minorities in England.

Prompting concerns that there may be cultural or racial factors driving them, the Guardian analysis found that for white ethnicities, hospital admissions for eating disorders rose by 31 per cent across three years, whereas admissions among ethnic minorities rose by 53 per cent,

Admissions for white ethnicities increased from 13,340 in 2017-18 to 17,467 in 2019-20. However for ethnic minorities there was a steeper increase, with 1,115 admissions in 2017-18 to 1,702 admissions in 2019-20.

UK eating disorder charity Beat released the results of a study last year which suggested that stereotypes about who gets an eating disorder might prevent people from ethnic minority backgrounds from seeking treatment.

Dr Agnes Ayton, the chair of the faculty of eating disorders at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said a rise in admissions for eating disorders suggested patients were not receiving timely treatment and were ending up in hospital as a result.

She said: “Training healthcare professionals to spot and treat eating disorders early will reduce hospital admissions and ultimately save lives. Investment in specialist eating disorder services finally reaching the frontline can help achieve that. We also need to investigate whether there are specific cultural or racial factors leading to a higher rate of admissions of BAME patients and if this could be down to poorer detection and less effective treatment within this group.”

Steph Winteringham, Beat’s head of communications, said: “Research has shown that eating disorders affect people of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds but often ethnic minorities face additional barriers to accessing a diagnosis and treatment. If hospital admissions for eating disorders continue to rise at a faster rate for ethnic minorities then this suggests that either BAME people with eating disorders are being identified and referred more frequently than in the past, or that the prevalence or severity of eating disorders has increased in these populations.

“It is crucial that those affected by eating disorders receive the treatment they need without delay, as this lowers the likelihood of needing inpatient treatment and gives patients the best chance of making a full and sustained recovery. We would urge anyone concerned about their health to contact their GP at the earliest opportunity.”