THE number of people hospitalised for eating disorders has risen by about two-thirds over the past ten years amidst concerns that the rise of celebrity culture is a factor.
A total of 726 people were treated in 2015/16, the year for which most recent figures are available.
This represents a 66 per cent rise on 2005/06 when hospitals treated 436 people.
While the 2015/16 figures showed a slight drop on the previous year - down from 742 in 2014/15 - several health boards recorded rises.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw numbers rise from 133 in 2014/15 to 153 the following year while NHS Tayside experienced a jump from 30 to 45.
Experts say eating disorders can be life threatening mental illnesses. Individuals with eating disorders generally experience low self-esteem, shame, denial and secrecy and often also suffer from depression, obsessive compulsive tendencies and occasionally psychotic symptoms and delusions.
Some have speculated that increased exposure to images of celebrities’ bodies through social media is behind a rise in hospitalisations, particularly amongst young girls.
Dr Colin Michie, the chairman of the nutrition committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, warned two years ago that children’s use of mobile phones and exposure to advertising with the ability to constantly look at images of celebrity bodies was a factor in eating disorder cases.
Several high profile sports people and celebrities from the world of entertainment have spoken out about their struggles with mental health and body image.
And some say the rise in treatments for eating disorder can also be down to greater awareness due to male celebrities such as US singer Aaron Carter, Eminem and actor Robert Pattinson being open about their own body struggles.
Deanne Jade of the National Centre for Eating Disorders, a a psychologist who has worked with eating and weight problems for many years says it is a symptom of an obsession with image and fears it will just get worse.
She said a major factor is that people were "generally feeling unhappier" with instability more recently through Brexit, the actions of Donald Trump as US president and terrorism.
"Everything's out of control," she said. "Add the effects of social media and [it is] very sinister.
"[It's hard] to know what to aspire toward. And [youngsters are ] expected to grow up too fast.
"Add to that the breakdown to traditional family structures and loss of religion and it adds up.
"Mental illness is always a function of unhappiness in society and no sense of cohesion. Mental illness generally finds expression or outlet in what society is preoccupied with and today it’s image.
"I predict more and more young people will get eating disorders and it will spread its tentacles into resistant groups such as children, men and old people. We still have no treatment for anorexia guaranteed to work so it’s worrying and will cost us dear."
Tom Qunn, director of external affairs with the eating disorder Beat, believed the rise "may not necessarily indicate a rise in people suffering, but may instead point to increased awareness on the part of healthcare professionals and improving access to treatment".
He called on the Scottish Government to introduce access and waiting times targets and ensure the funding is in place to meet them, so that everyone who needs treatment for an eating disorder can receive it at the earliest opportunity.
“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and many people face barriers to the treatment they need," he said.
"We know from people who contact us for support, both from Scotland and the rest of the UK, that many individuals do not get the treatment they need, or are past the point at which they have the best chance for recovery by the time they do."
Add to eating disorder story
Dr Fiona Duffy, chairman of the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group said the published data only represents "a fraction of people presenting with eating disorders, as most people are treated within community outpatient settings, yet the infrastructure is not in place to support adequate data collection to determine exactly how many people are in NHS treatment for an eating disorder across Scotland".
She added: "The Scottish Eating Disorder Interest Group feel strongly that while inpatient admissions are essential, the only way to reduce such admissions is to enhance the provision of evidence based psychological treatments being offered in community settings across Scotland that can be accessed quickly when someone is in need.
" Early intervention is essential in the successful treatment of eating disorders. Our members feel strongly that increased resources are needed to support effective early intervention for children, young people and adults suffering from eating disorders, using skilled and specialist clinicians. "
Calum Irving, director of the mental health organisation See Me added: “It’s not clear why this is happening, nevertheless we agree that people should seek help as soon as possible if they are concerned about their mental health.
"We still need to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in Scotland so that people feel able to seek help early enough before problems emerge. We can all play our part by looking out for each other and asking ‘are you okay?’”
The new figures were published following a parliamentary question by Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs.
He said: "People will be shocked to see just how much of a problem eating disorders have become in recent years.
"It's clear we all need to do much more to tackle these problems before it gets so serious someone has to be hospitalised.
"The statistics are there for everyone to see - in the space of a decade the scale of this problem has increased by two-thirds.
"It's time for all parties to work together to investigate how better to help people struggling with these conditions, particularly from a young age.
"This very much ties into the mental health agenda and these numbers should remind us all that this is another major challenge facing hundreds of people across the country."
Mental health minister Maureen Watt said: "Through our funding of the See Me campaign, we have worked hard to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems, including eating disorders.
"As this stigma declines, we would expect more patients to come forward to get the help and support they need.
"In Scotland, the majority of people living with an eating disorder are treated effectively in the community, with specialist support provided by primary or community mental health teams and with support links to specialist hospital care where that is needed."
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