With estimated 1.25 million people in the UK having an eating disorder and it having the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, with almost 1 person dying every hour as a direct result of an eating disorder, it is crucial that all care workers have the understanding and knowledge to identify eating disorders.
While many eating disorders develop during adolescence, it is not unusual for people to develop eating disorders later in life and due to a lack of understanding and awareness of eating disorders, many cases outside of the stereotypical age bracket go unnoticed, resulting in many sufferers not getting diagnosed and appropriately treated.
Unfortunately, an eating disorder isn’t necessarily obvious, you can’t tell if someone has an eating disorder by just looking at them. While some suffers of anorexia are severely emaciated, others are not. For example those with bulimia may be within a normal weight range or possibly even overweight.
However, Professor John Morgan at Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust designed the SCOFF screening tool to indicate a possible eating disorder. By answering these 5 questions you may be able to identify an eating disorder:
1) Do you ever make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
2) Do you worry you have lost Control over how much you eat?
3) Have you recently lost more than One stone in a three-month period?
4) Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
5) Would you say that Food dominates your life?
A score of two or more positive answers is a positive screen.
There are many forms of eating disorders that those in care need to be aware of such as anorexia (which has the highest morality rate) and bulimia. It is crucial that all care workers have the knowledge and understand to identify and care for those who display signs of an eating disorder.
It is estimated that 70% of those who suffer with eating disorders will not seek treatment due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of education, diagnosis and lack of access to care.
Yet, the earlier the eating disorder treatment is sought, the better the sufferer’s chance of recovery, so having an understanding and awareness of Eating Disorders is crucial within care.
Why not enrol your staff today from just 99p per course or 47p a month for Unlimited Access to all Careskills Academy eLearning and ensure they have the knowledge and understanding to beat Eating Disorders.
Click here for more information on our Eating Disorders online course, or contact us on 020 3397 9734.
