Number of students needing support for eating disorders doubles in five years
The number of university-aged students needing support for eating disorders in the UK has more than doubled over the last five years, according to a leading charity.
BEAT – which offers support to people over the phone, by text, or email – told Sky News that between April 2023 and March 2024, they delivered 15,120 helpline sessions to 18 to 22-year-olds, up from 6,620 for the same period between 2019 and 2020.
Erin Butler, a student in Birmingham, said she’d suffered a relapse with her eating disorder following her freshers’ week, having struggled with anorexia from the age of 15.
“I think coming to uni, I really wanted to get rid of that part of myself, leave behind the anorexic, sick version of myself and come as a new person”, she said.
The English student, now in her third year, said she wanted to “create a new identity, a fun, go out all the time, really live the uni lifestyle person, but I think trying to hide that part of yourself doesn’t really work – it’ll always be there, it’s always going to come up in some way”.
She returned to her home in County Armagh in Northern Ireland to access treatment via her GP.
She’s certain that the campus lifestyle triggered her anorexia again.
“I think the mixture of managing my finances, managing my own groceries and making sure I was able to make classes on time… all of that combined becomes too much and when you have everything going on in your head as well, it’s really a disaster,” she said.
BEAT spokesperson Tom Quinn
The charity’s director of external affairs Tom Quinn said university is often the time when young people are away from home for the first time.
“It is often a time of anxiety when they are under pressure for a new way of working and studying,” he said.
“They’re meeting new friends, they’re also having to cook for themselves and also do all of this without sort of parental supervision.
“So we think for some people, they are developing an eating disorder for the first time. For others, that eating disorder is getting worse because they don’t have their families around.
“We want universities to be better equipped to spot the signs of eating disorders and help students in their care. We’ve launched our ‘bridging the gap’ training to help with this, but we’re also calling on the government to make sure there is enough treatment available for adults so that they can get the help they need.”
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Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, said: “There is growing concern about the mental health of young people in the UK including students, with increased demand for university-funded support services.
“Universities have stepped up their efforts, with particular focus on making sure students are aware of the range of services available at their university and via the NHS, and encouraging those with mental health difficulties to access the right support.”
A government spokesperson said: “Lord Darzi’s report exposed the dramatic rise in serious eating disorders, with hospital admissions for eating disorders increasing by 82% since 2019/20.
“We will fix the NHS and ensure those living with the condition are given the support they need, by recruiting an extra 8,500 adult and child mental health staff, investing in community mental health hubs and putting mental health support in every school.”
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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