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Sudden rise in eating disorder case referrals in the Midlands

Health experts in the Black Country have seen a dramatic rise in referrals for eating disorders to their mental health teams over the last 12 months, new figures show.

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In Sandwell, there was a 40 per cent increase in referrals for eating disorders to the borough's adult specialist team, while in Dudley and Walsall, there has been a 57 per cent rise.

Nationally the number of hospital admissions for eating disorders in the past year has increased by 16 per cent.

In Sandwell, there has also been a 70 per cent increase in young people receiving treatment for eating disorders over the past five years, according to the child and adolescent mental health services. The Sandwell Eating Disorder Team has now launched a campaign to raise awareness and encourage early detection of the mental illness, in a bid to tackle the rise.

As part of the new campaign, the team will be going out to GP practices with information aiming to help doctors detect as early as possible people who may be suffering with an eating disorder.

The Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has also revealed that the average age of a young person being referred to the service in Sandwell is 15.

Karen Higgins, eating disorders clinical lead for Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: "Body image issues do seem to be increasing especially amongst younger adults and teenagers."

Sandwell's specialist dietitian in eating disorders and service lead in Ann Fennell, said: "I think the main reason for seeing an increase in referrals is because the public are becoming more aware of the help available."

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