How Can Community Help with Eating Disorders? | Vanessa Longley | EDAW 2026

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Eating disorders are often described as
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some of the most challenging mental
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health conditions. They affect how
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people see themselves, how they relate
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to others, and whether they feel able to
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ask for help at all. Far from an
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anecdote, the most recent data shows
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that hospital admissions for eating
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disorders have doubled in the last
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decade, with the vast majority happening
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as an emergency. We know that recovery
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doesn't happen in isolation, and family,
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friends, workplaces, and communities all
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have their role to play. Yet, many
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people still tell us they feel alone or
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unsure of where to turn. So, how does
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community actually help when somebody is
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struggling with an eating disorder? And
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what changes when help and support is
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accessed early?
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>> We've known for decades that if you have
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food insecurity under the age of five,
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that will lead to a a significantly
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increased prevalence of eating disorders
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as an adolescent. It's about helping
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people to take a really positive next
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step.
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>> Yes. [music]
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>> And if they can take one positive
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action, then the likelihood of them
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getting better is massively increased.
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uh at the moment uh eating disorders are
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around about 9% [music] of all mental
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health conditions and we get less than
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1% of the funding for research. [music]
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We need to bring that patient voice and
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uh people's voice so that those
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providing the services [music] really
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understand the impact of the decisions
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they're making.
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>> To explore these questions, I'm joined
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by Vanessa Longley, CEO of Beat, the
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UK's eating disorder charity. Since
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joining in 2025, she's led work that
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supported tens of thousands of people
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while shaping a longerterm strategy
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focused on prevention, early
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intervention, and ensuring that nobody
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faces an eating disorder alone. Vanessa,
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good to see you.
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>> Really good to see you, mate.
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>> Thank you for joining the show. As per
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usual, I'd like to start with um
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learning a little more about the person
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in front of me. In your case, um you've
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joined Beats since June 2025 after a
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long career of leading organizations in
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the third sector.
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On a personal level, what drew you to
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this work with Beat and what do people
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misunderstand about eating disorders
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before they encounter them up close?
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>> I think you're so right, Matt. It's that
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personal experience that makes you
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really understand uh the conditions that
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that that people are facing. So um my
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daughter was uh was born with an
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invisible disability uh and uh had to go
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on quite a a journey to manage that and
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um it's not a surprise that on that
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journey she reached that age where she
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just didn't want to be different and
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that's it's really hard. Um, and she
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struggled. She struggled with her mental
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health. Um, and we were very lucky to
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get the help that we needed. But you
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know the I I do remember that occasion
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you or so many of them. But the occasion
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I I suppose that that I remember most is
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her I'm not very tall. I'm only about
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5'2. And uh so my daughter was the same
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height as me by then and having this
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lanky adolescent sitting on my lap
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because she was crying. She was too
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tired to chew. Um
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and spooning custard into her mouth
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because I'm her mom and I wanted her to
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be well so desperately.
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>> Um and yes, we got the help we needed.
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Uh I tried to do the therapy for her. It
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turns out you can't do the therapy for
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your kids. Uh so we did a pact. Uh and
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the pact was that she would stick with
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therapy, which is hard. Um but she would
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stick with therapy and I would use my
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day job to go and try and change the
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world to make it a bit better for her
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and the friends who were experiencing
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all sorts of mental health challenges.
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And that's what drew me into young
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people's mental health. So, and coming
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to be I think it does give you a unique
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perspective uh as a parent because it's
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just so hard because you're dealing with
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something where you're waking up every
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morning and knowing there are meals
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ahead of you that day. Um and uh so
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yeah, I try and bring some of that. It's
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one experience, but but one of those
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experiences I think helps give me some
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insight into into what we need to do
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here.
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>> Wow. That's um yeah really powerful
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insight. Um so you you've mentioned as
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well that essentially eating disorders
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are preventable.
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>> Absolutely.
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>> And that with the right help and support
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recovery is possible. From where you're
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sitting right now, what do you see as
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some of the biggest challenges on the
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road to a world without eating
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disorders?
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>> I think you know and absolutely that's
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possible. So let's [clears throat] start
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off with the optimism. Sure. um
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challenges, barriers. I think the really
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simple thing is knowledge.
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Uh we have a tiny amount of research
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going on out there considering the
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seriousness that eating disorders
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present. So at the moment uh eating
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disorders are around about 9% of all
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mental health conditions and we get less
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than 1% of the funding for research. But
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what's even more concerning is that the
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research that's being done, I mean some
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of it is brilliant. We do have great
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research going on out there. Some of the
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genomic stuff is amazing and that might
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well lead to us understanding the
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genetics behind eating disorders and
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could trans transform treatments. But
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even other research that's out there is
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it should be leading to changes in
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policy and practice and informing that.
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Um, it drives me up the wall sometimes,
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which is that, you know, we we've known
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for years, we've known for decades that
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if you have food insecurity under the
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age of five,
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>> that will lead to a significantly
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increased prevalence of eating disorders
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as an adolescent. We've just had the
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biggest cost of living crisis in the UK
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for many, many decades. And I'm saying
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to politicians and saying to anyone who
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will listen that this gives us an
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opportunity. We can plan for a problem
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that's going to occur now in what five,
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seven, 10 years time, but we just don't
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really have the systems to turn those
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those insights that's researched in
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insights into practice on the ground.
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And I think that's a massive challenge
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for us as a sector and as an NHS and as
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a government and all the way down to the
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family level because there are there is
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real evidence base that parents and
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carers and people with an eating
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disorder themselves need to know in
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order to understand what's being
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offered. I had a I had a dad on the
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phone, incredibly angry dad um where he
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had been offered by the eating disorder
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specialists um family based therapy and
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he was incredibly angry because he just
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said, you know, that you know, the
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specialist is saying that I've done
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something wrong. It's my fault that my
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daughter has an eating disorder. Um, and
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I was able to say to him, actually,
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family based therapy is the best
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evidence-based treatment for your child
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at their age with their condition, and
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they could do therapy on their own.
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>> Mh.
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>> But actually, it's because you're a good
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dad that they want you in their own. And
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they went away feeling stronger and more
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confident about that that treatment
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because they now had the evidence behind
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it. So I think there's something about
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knowledge should not be stuck in a
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shelf. We need to learn as much as we
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can about eating disorders, but then we
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need to make sure that's put into
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practice on a daily basis uh for by GPS
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at uh political level but also at a
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family level.
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>> So um thinking about how we address the
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disparities in funding.
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>> Yeah.
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thinking about the importance of early
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intervention and also reframing um I
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guess people's perspectives around the
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role of family, friends and the wider
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community um when it comes to supporting
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people like in this case the the family
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based therapy. The guy was quite angry.
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Um and then you mentioned about putting
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research into practice.
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>> So you've been in post for nearly a year
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now.
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>> It's gone quick.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. I I was going to say just
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along along that journey, what would you
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say are some of the moments that have
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kind of really stuck with you on a you
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know the moments that you would say
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really reaffirm why this work is
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important?
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>> Yeah, I think it's uh it's very easy
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when you're doing this work every day,
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it's it's easy to forget the day-to-day
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reality out there is very different.
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Levels of knowledge are very different.
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Um so the one story that one of the
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stories I'll share is um uh we got
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contacted by a mom whose daughter had
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really struggled with an eating disorder
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>> and was in recovery. I mean this is huge
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amount of work that they' done uh as a
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family um getting the right treatment
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and this girl it was such a massive
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success. mom had managed to get this
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girl back to school and she'd gone into
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school and they'd had a biology lesson
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and the biology teacher h was teaching
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about uh how bodies work and respond to
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food
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>> and had pulled two girls out in front of
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the class to demonstrate that there are
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naturally different body types
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and they' pulled out this young girl
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with an eating disorder to discuss her
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body in front of the whole class
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and if that wasn't bad enough and
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obviously that it caused all sorts of
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trauma um which had to be unpicked. But
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this girl having been through treatment,
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she was brave enough to go into back
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into that school with her mom to see the
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head to say, "Look, this has happened.
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My daughter would would really like to
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do a talk at school and to the teachers
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to try and explain to them how important
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it is not to do this stuff and to talk a
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little bit more about eating disorders."
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And the response of the head
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We don't want to be talking about eating
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disorders otherwise everyone will get
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it.
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>> As if it's somehow a catching condition.
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>> Yeah.
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>> And it's something like that that really
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brings home that that everyday
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experience of people out there. It it it
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shows the stigma is still really strong
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and misunderstanding of what eating
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disorders are, what they look like. Um
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this is stuff we need to be talking
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about uh in the same way as it's much
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better nowadays. It's not perfect, but
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we talk about mental health far more
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than we used to.
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>> Sure.
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>> But eating disorders seem to be this
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subset that there's still a lot of
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stigma around. So So yeah, that that
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sits with me. And um yeah, I I need to
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make sure that we as an organization are
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changing
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that that situation for for girls like
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that for for kids like that who are
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doing so much work on their own. We as a
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society need a group around them and
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support them.
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>> No, that's um yeah, it's really really
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powerful story again. Um just coming
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back to the research piece as well. Um
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because you mentioned just in terms of
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the the challenges in terms of you know
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realizing a world without eating
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disorders um they're varied.
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>> Yeah.
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>> Quite far reaching um but you mentioned
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about different bits of research and how
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we turn that into practice. Are there
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any bits of research that kind of kind
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of come to mind that get you really
00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.590
excited in terms of making progress?
00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.069
>> I mean there's a lot out there. Um, some
00:11:20.079 --> 00:11:24.870
of it I um I uh so some of it is the as
00:11:24.880 --> 00:11:28.630
I mentioned the genomics stuff and I'm
00:11:28.640 --> 00:11:31.509
incredibly proud of the UK for having
00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.829
some of this cutting edge research in
00:11:33.839 --> 00:11:35.110
this area
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.670
>> and it's giving us an insight into what
00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:39.990
eating disorders are that they are they
00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:41.509
are mental health serious mental health
00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.630
conditions they also do have a genetic
00:11:44.640 --> 00:11:47.829
element and we know that there's a the
00:11:47.839 --> 00:11:49.910
biological ele element ments around that
00:11:49.920 --> 00:11:52.949
if people are restricting um very
00:11:52.959 --> 00:11:55.350
seriously then changes happen in the
00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.710
brain which make it even harder to
00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:00.389
engage with the treatments that need to
00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.630
happen in order to get well. And so
00:12:02.640 --> 00:12:05.590
there's some really fascinating research
00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:07.829
happening, you know, whether that's um
00:12:07.839 --> 00:12:10.550
looking at ketamine for the treatment of
00:12:10.560 --> 00:12:12.470
uh anorexia
00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.030
>> um or whether that's uh all the way
00:12:15.040 --> 00:12:18.230
through to the real effectiveness of
00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.110
psycho education around teaching uh
00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:23.590
young people to recognize and name
00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.829
emotions. And we forget how hard that
00:12:25.839 --> 00:12:27.110
is. That's a skill that has to be
00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.750
learned. No one's born with the ability
00:12:29.760 --> 00:12:32.629
to to have a name for an emotion. And
00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.670
actually just the simple act of teaching
00:12:35.680 --> 00:12:38.230
a child how to recognize those emotions
00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:41.269
can have a huge positive impact all the
00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.590
way through to um I was speaking to a
00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:45.910
researcher who's been looking at h the
00:12:45.920 --> 00:12:47.829
link between hypermobility and eating
00:12:47.839 --> 00:12:51.190
disorders really interesting and then
00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.230
all the way through to uh the work the
00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:55.670
report that we've been doing around uh
00:12:55.680 --> 00:12:57.269
we call it the no place like home
00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:00.310
campaign we pulled together over a
00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.110
thousand pieces of research into
00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.350
treatments around intensive daycare and
00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:08.710
balancing what that can offer compared
00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:10.310
with impatient care.
00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:10.949
>> Sure.
00:13:10.959 --> 00:13:15.110
>> And uh really interesting to see that
00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.550
evidence base that uh having people stay
00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:20.389
at home but receive intensive day
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:21.590
support
00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.350
>> can be better for the patient. They
00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:26.069
prefer it. It can have better outcomes
00:13:26.079 --> 00:13:27.670
for the patient and it could be
00:13:27.680 --> 00:13:29.910
substantially cheaper. So there's
00:13:29.920 --> 00:13:31.110
there's lots of things there. We're
00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.389
always going to need impatient care,
00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:33.990
don't we? You know, that's that's
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.430
something that's going to be vital, but
00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:36.870
there are things we can learn from this
00:13:36.880 --> 00:13:38.710
research which could change the way we
00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:39.509
deliver care.
00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:41.750
>> So, genetics, naming emotions, and and
00:13:41.760 --> 00:13:44.310
also just the research into how where a
00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:45.509
person receives care.
00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:45.910
>> Yeah.
00:13:45.920 --> 00:13:47.509
>> And how that informs outcomes.
00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:49.430
>> Yeah, absolutely. And a whole range of
00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.190
it. And it's happening internationally
00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.110
as well. This is the great stuff that
00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:56.230
that um I love to see where we're trying
00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:59.030
to work with colleagues overseas because
00:13:59.040 --> 00:14:01.030
these conditions don't have borders.
00:14:01.040 --> 00:14:01.590
>> No.
00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:04.790
>> And what what other organi organizations
00:14:04.800 --> 00:14:07.269
and countries allow us to do is to have
00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:10.310
insights that come from different
00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.710
cultural start points. So it allows us
00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:15.189
to see some of the impacts of the
00:14:15.199 --> 00:14:17.590
marginalized and minoritized groups.
00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:17.910
Yes.
00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:20.310
>> Um because that's so important. It's so
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.509
easy to miss that.
00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:23.189
>> Yeah, definitely. And I'd definitely
00:14:23.199 --> 00:14:24.949
like to touch on um I guess the
00:14:24.959 --> 00:14:27.350
importance of community, but also um I
00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.910
guess how people access support and how
00:14:29.920 --> 00:14:31.910
that's affected by let's say geography
00:14:31.920 --> 00:14:33.430
and and and background. We're going to
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.710
come on to that a little bit later on,
00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:36.310
but I guess all of this when we talk
00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:37.990
about research into practice, it makes
00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.750
me think about the reality on the ground
00:14:39.760 --> 00:14:41.590
and just some of the work that you've
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.670
been doing. So, for example, as I
00:14:43.680 --> 00:14:45.350
understand it, over the last 18 months,
00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:47.590
you've supported people over 36,000
00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:50.389
times by phone, email, um, web chat, and
00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:52.550
also social media. Uh, and that's been
00:14:52.560 --> 00:14:54.790
made possible by close to nearly 6 and a
00:14:54.800 --> 00:14:57.509
half thousand volunteer hours, which I
00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:58.629
have to say is really, really
00:14:58.639 --> 00:14:59.829
impressive. I don't know what the math
00:14:59.839 --> 00:15:02.550
works out there over 18 months, but
00:15:02.560 --> 00:15:03.430
>> it sounds like a lot.
00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.110
>> It is a lot. It's a lot. And, you know,
00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.189
any, if there are any volunteers uh, out
00:15:07.199 --> 00:15:08.949
there listening to this, just we're
00:15:08.959 --> 00:15:11.509
eternally grateful. They save lives
00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:12.150
every day.
00:15:12.160 --> 00:15:13.350
>> Absolutely.
00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.670
>> And and just thinking about those
00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:17.750
numbers, what when we think about those
00:15:17.760 --> 00:15:20.069
numbers, what does that tell you about
00:15:20.079 --> 00:15:23.189
the unmet need in the UK right now?
00:15:23.199 --> 00:15:25.750
>> Uh the difficult truth.
00:15:25.760 --> 00:15:26.949
>> Mhm.
00:15:26.959 --> 00:15:29.509
>> It's not enough. All those thousands
00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.030
we're reaching, it's nowhere near
00:15:31.040 --> 00:15:35.509
enough. Um we know there's at least 1.25
00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:37.590
million people in the UK with an eating
00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.189
disorder.
00:15:39.199 --> 00:15:42.069
Um, we are reaching thousands at the
00:15:42.079 --> 00:15:45.750
moment, but unfortunately the reality is
00:15:45.760 --> 00:15:48.069
that most people who develop a needing
00:15:48.079 --> 00:15:49.749
disorder will need some help along the
00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:53.269
way. And our helpline acts as a it acts
00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:54.389
as a front door.
00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:54.949
>> Sure.
00:15:54.959 --> 00:15:59.350
>> Um, we may not have every single uh
00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:01.269
service that that someone might need.
00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:02.629
You know, many people need inpatient
00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.710
care, which is not something we do, but
00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.350
we are a start point. And I think that's
00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.790
where um I think we need as beat need to
00:16:10.800 --> 00:16:13.350
develop but also we need to make that
00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:15.269
promise to the eating disorder community
00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:18.550
which is whatever care you need we will
00:16:18.560 --> 00:16:20.389
we will take you to that next step and
00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:21.910
it's something we do on the on the
00:16:21.920 --> 00:16:25.910
phones and and um and by email is that
00:16:25.920 --> 00:16:27.910
um and you'll know it from your uh from
00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:29.269
your times with the Samaritans that we
00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:30.550
talk about motivational interviewing
00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:33.030
which it always sounds like a like a
00:16:33.040 --> 00:16:35.030
kind of a
00:16:35.040 --> 00:16:37.110
a very corporate thing but actually it's
00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:38.949
about helping people to take a really
00:16:38.959 --> 00:16:40.069
positive next step.
00:16:40.079 --> 00:16:40.790
>> Yes.
00:16:40.800 --> 00:16:43.509
>> And if they can take one positive
00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.670
action, then the likelihood of them
00:16:45.680 --> 00:16:47.910
getting better is massively increased
00:16:47.920 --> 00:16:50.230
because that one positive move leads
00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:52.230
onto another positive move. So, our
00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.550
helpline staff and our volunteers are
00:16:54.560 --> 00:16:56.550
trained in these techniques that if you
00:16:56.560 --> 00:16:59.110
come to us, wherever you are on that
00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:00.870
journey, whether you are struggling
00:17:00.880 --> 00:17:02.230
yourself with an eating disorder or
00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.069
you've got a loved one who's struggling,
00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.069
we'll try and help you take that one
00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.029
step
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:09.029
>> and then get you to the right place and
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:11.429
then you can always come back. Um, we
00:17:11.439 --> 00:17:13.750
will we're very happy. Call us back a
00:17:13.760 --> 00:17:15.829
number of times. But the important thing
00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:18.630
is you you you can't necessarily tackle
00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.669
the whole picture in one go. This is big
00:17:21.679 --> 00:17:23.750
stuff and some people with an eating
00:17:23.760 --> 00:17:25.510
disorder, they are going to need help
00:17:25.520 --> 00:17:29.830
for months and years and that's okay.
00:17:29.840 --> 00:17:32.070
This it's about getting started. So
00:17:32.080 --> 00:17:33.190
that's what that's is what we're doing a
00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:35.990
lot of and I think yeah that's I need to
00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.750
make that commitment to the eating
00:17:37.760 --> 00:17:39.430
disorder community that we commit to
00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:42.789
doing more. M and of course behind every
00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:45.430
statistic there is um a human being an
00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.590
individual and often when they reach out
00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:49.029
to you you know coming through the front
00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:51.750
door be it the the helpline um they're
00:17:51.760 --> 00:17:53.830
in quite a vulnerable position.
00:17:53.840 --> 00:17:54.710
>> Yeah.
00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.390
>> What are in terms of trends what are
00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:57.830
some of the things that you hear from
00:17:57.840 --> 00:17:59.830
people when they reach out to you for
00:17:59.840 --> 00:18:00.950
the first time?
00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:02.230
>> Yeah it's I mean it's a really
00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.710
interesting range. We are seeing as you
00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:06.150
mentioned about more people turning up
00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.710
at A&E in crisis and we've certainly
00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:11.029
seen a significant increase the number
00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:12.549
of people with an eating disorder
00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:14.789
reaching out to us for the first time
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.990
already in crisis which is extremely
00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.070
concerning. That's you know that's when
00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:21.590
we have to do some significant
00:18:21.600 --> 00:18:25.110
safeguarding um work and make sure that
00:18:25.120 --> 00:18:28.310
they are okay. But that goes all the way
00:18:28.320 --> 00:18:31.990
through. And what really still surprises
00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.470
me is the number of people who phone us
00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:36.710
not sure if they've got an eating
00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:39.669
disorder. And a lot of that is about the
00:18:39.679 --> 00:18:43.430
fact that we have this this stereotypes
00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:45.590
around what eating disorder ought to
00:18:45.600 --> 00:18:46.310
look like
00:18:46.320 --> 00:18:47.270
>> or who can get one
00:18:47.280 --> 00:18:50.070
>> or and who can get one. Absolutely. And
00:18:50.080 --> 00:18:51.909
uh and so we have a lot of people say,
00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:53.510
"Oh, I haven't got an eating disorder,
00:18:53.520 --> 00:18:54.870
but I'm struggling with this and I
00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:56.310
didn't know if you could help." like,
00:18:56.320 --> 00:18:57.909
"Well, actually, it sounds like you do
00:18:57.919 --> 00:18:59.430
have an eating disorder."
00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.070
>> Or, uh, parents, carers, friends, family
00:19:02.080 --> 00:19:04.390
going, I've noticed this. Do you think
00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.789
it could be an eating disorder? I'm
00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:08.470
like, yeah, yeah, it can be.
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.789
>> And this comes back to the the challenge
00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:12.470
around the knowledge gap that you
00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:13.350
mentioned earlier.
00:19:13.360 --> 00:19:15.830
>> Absolutely. Absolutely. And we have um,
00:19:15.840 --> 00:19:18.310
you know, and I I know again this is uh
00:19:18.320 --> 00:19:20.470
close to your heart, which is we have
00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:23.110
young men out there uh training two,
00:19:23.120 --> 00:19:25.510
three times a day in a gym.
00:19:25.520 --> 00:19:28.150
uh who are injecting themselves with a
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.029
blend of weight loss drugs and steroids
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:33.270
uh and then and then dehydrating in
00:19:33.280 --> 00:19:36.470
order to look cut. Um and that is
00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:39.029
absolutely where you know they are they
00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:43.270
are absolutely consumed by calories and
00:19:43.280 --> 00:19:45.750
musculature and that is a form of an
00:19:45.760 --> 00:19:47.750
eating disorder and yet their personal
00:19:47.760 --> 00:19:49.350
trainers will be there going you look
00:19:49.360 --> 00:19:50.150
great mate
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:51.669
>> you're doing really well you just got to
00:19:51.679 --> 00:19:53.990
push yourself harder and that's not that
00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.230
is not the fault of personal trainers
00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.270
they are not trying to drive people to
00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:01.110
ill health quite the opposite it's just
00:20:01.120 --> 00:20:03.750
there's lack of recognition that what
00:20:03.760 --> 00:20:05.750
they're seeing in some of these young
00:20:05.760 --> 00:20:09.029
men is is really a very very serious
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.430
mental health condition which could make
00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:12.470
them very ill.
00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.029
>> Of course, recognizing um an eating
00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:16.789
disorder is one thing. Knowing how to
00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:18.390
let's say open up the conversation about
00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.150
something that is really personal.
00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:20.549
>> Yeah,
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.750
>> it's potentially something else
00:20:21.760 --> 00:20:23.510
entirely. Um I wanted to pick up on
00:20:23.520 --> 00:20:24.870
something you mentioned about parents
00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:27.669
and carers because they play, I would
00:20:27.679 --> 00:20:29.430
say, quite a crucial role in a person's
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:32.149
recovery journey. oftentimes they may
00:20:32.159 --> 00:20:35.750
feel like they're um overlooked
00:20:35.760 --> 00:20:37.270
>> and
00:20:37.280 --> 00:20:38.950
I guess I wonder if you could talk to me
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.830
about how Beats work has evolved over
00:20:41.840 --> 00:20:44.549
the years to kind of address that gap.
00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:48.390
>> Yeah, you're absolutely right. Um it's
00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:50.549
I'm from personal experience. It's
00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:52.549
incredibly lonely
00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:54.870
>> to be a parent
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:58.549
because you're you're carrying that
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:00.230
daily
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:03.350
concern of if you get this wrong, you
00:21:03.360 --> 00:21:05.750
could lose your child.
00:21:05.760 --> 00:21:08.549
And that act of feeding, I can't even
00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:11.669
tell you how fundamental that is. Uh it
00:21:11.679 --> 00:21:13.190
feels
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:15.510
you you can feel like a failure. There
00:21:15.520 --> 00:21:17.669
are many emotions. Let's just put it
00:21:17.679 --> 00:21:21.590
there. Um and so for beat it's
00:21:21.600 --> 00:21:23.750
absolutely vital that we make sure that
00:21:23.760 --> 00:21:27.029
parents and carers get support alongside
00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.630
uh their young person with a with an
00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.630
eating disorder. So you know if there's
00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:31.990
parents and carers out there right now
00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:35.669
then uh we we have an online um
00:21:35.679 --> 00:21:38.230
platform. It's absolutely free. Uh you
00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.750
sign up. There are um little modules to
00:21:41.760 --> 00:21:43.270
learn all about different eating
00:21:43.280 --> 00:21:46.070
disorders, to learn the latest insight
00:21:46.080 --> 00:21:49.350
and knowledge about how you can support
00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:51.350
your young person. Uh there's
00:21:51.360 --> 00:21:53.669
peer-to-peer support. There's monthly
00:21:53.679 --> 00:21:56.789
clinical um insight groups. It's there.
00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:57.190
>> Got it.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.110
>> Come come come and access it. But
00:21:59.120 --> 00:22:01.990
fundamentally, there is tons you can do
00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.149
to help. And some of those natural
00:22:04.159 --> 00:22:08.070
instincts you have to fight against. Um
00:22:08.080 --> 00:22:11.190
there's a uh a dad another dad that I
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:13.669
spoke to. Uh I'm laughing because he he
00:22:13.679 --> 00:22:15.990
his again his his daughter's got through
00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.310
this and is in recovery. He remembers
00:22:18.320 --> 00:22:19.909
the first time he visited her in the
00:22:19.919 --> 00:22:21.909
impatient unit.
00:22:21.919 --> 00:22:25.750
And um he hadn't learned much at that
00:22:25.760 --> 00:22:28.470
stage. He was just just going on
00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.710
instinct and he said he recognized he
00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.110
was just terrified. He was desperate. He
00:22:33.120 --> 00:22:35.350
was desperate and the idea of taking his
00:22:35.360 --> 00:22:36.950
daughter to an eating disorder unit and
00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:39.190
leaving her there was just the worst
00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.149
thing he'd ever done in his life and uh
00:22:42.159 --> 00:22:43.830
so he went to visit her and he had this
00:22:43.840 --> 00:22:45.990
kind of thing in his head off and I I'm
00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.430
sure I'm sure I can get her to eat and
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:49.750
then she can come home with me and so he
00:22:49.760 --> 00:22:53.669
was trying to sneak her a Mars bar and
00:22:53.679 --> 00:22:56.070
and the consultant took him to one side
00:22:56.080 --> 00:22:57.909
and said right okay we need to have a
00:22:57.919 --> 00:23:00.310
chat because this is not helpful
00:23:00.320 --> 00:23:03.350
>> and uh and he did he he did he did our
00:23:03.360 --> 00:23:05.029
parents course and he and he is laughing
00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:06.710
at himself because he looks back and he
00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.950
goes, "Oh my goodness." You know, it was
00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.070
probably one of the worst things I could
00:23:10.080 --> 00:23:10.470
have done.
00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.750
>> Definitely making it worse. Yeah.
00:23:11.760 --> 00:23:15.430
>> Um but actually they're now at a stage
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:16.950
where he and his daughter have been able
00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:19.430
to have those conversations. And his
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.750
daughter said, "I knew you just wanted
00:23:21.760 --> 00:23:24.710
me to be well." And that's an amazing
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:27.270
place to be. Amazing place to get to.
00:23:27.280 --> 00:23:29.110
But yeah, so they refer to it sometimes.
00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:31.110
and she'll say, "She's in recovery, but
00:23:31.120 --> 00:23:33.110
he still fusses because he's her dad."
00:23:33.120 --> 00:23:34.870
And so occasionally may now have the
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:36.070
short hand, which is, "Yeah, I don't
00:23:36.080 --> 00:23:38.549
need a Mars B." Um, and that's great,
00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:41.029
but that's that's why it's so important
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:43.350
to have parent support is a very lonely
00:23:43.360 --> 00:23:45.029
place to be. And and there are others
00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:46.630
that have been through it that can help
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:49.029
you along that way.
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:51.830
So shifting from support to how we
00:23:51.840 --> 00:23:54.230
deliver change, how you deliver change
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:58.310
long term. Um your 2025 to 2030 strategy
00:23:58.320 --> 00:24:01.110
is built around three pillars. That's
00:24:01.120 --> 00:24:03.029
answering the call, spreading the word,
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:05.110
and changing the story.
00:24:05.120 --> 00:24:07.990
>> So if you had to explain that strategy
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.630
to somebody who's never heard of Beat,
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:13.669
what problem are you trying to solve?
00:24:13.679 --> 00:24:16.310
>> Okay. Um I obviously I could talk about
00:24:16.320 --> 00:24:18.950
this for hours but um you asked me to do
00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.870
the the for someone who's who doesn't
00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:23.510
know us. So I think I often use the
00:24:23.520 --> 00:24:25.909
analogy that it's like there's a house
00:24:25.919 --> 00:24:29.029
on fire. Um people out there with an
00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:31.830
eating disorder are in crisis and we at
00:24:31.840 --> 00:24:35.190
beat have to provide support now. They
00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.350
need help now. And whether that's
00:24:37.360 --> 00:24:39.909
through our helpline, our web chat, um
00:24:39.919 --> 00:24:41.830
all of the information online, the
00:24:41.840 --> 00:24:43.510
programs of support we provide for them
00:24:43.520 --> 00:24:45.590
and their parents, that's all about
00:24:45.600 --> 00:24:48.470
delivering direct support to people who
00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:51.669
are in need right now. But it's not
00:24:51.679 --> 00:24:53.990
enough just to put a fire out. We also
00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:55.830
need to at the same time start building
00:24:55.840 --> 00:24:57.269
that fire break.
00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.029
>> So we're stopping people reaching crisis
00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:01.909
in the future. So, we're also working
00:25:01.919 --> 00:25:03.909
about uh building that community and
00:25:03.919 --> 00:25:05.269
we've already mentioned about that
00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:07.269
community that's able to recognize and
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:09.590
respond and it's the two things together
00:25:09.600 --> 00:25:11.510
that make the difference and that's all
00:25:11.520 --> 00:25:15.830
of our training of um uh of uh teachers
00:25:15.840 --> 00:25:17.430
uh schools professionals health
00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:19.029
professionals
00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:21.269
um as well as the awareness. If I can
00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:23.350
get a eating disorder story in one of
00:25:23.360 --> 00:25:25.350
the soaps and that's brilliant. It's a
00:25:25.360 --> 00:25:26.870
way of reaching millions of people in
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:27.350
one go.
00:25:27.360 --> 00:25:28.870
>> Have we not have not had that yet?
00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:31.110
>> Yeah, we have. Yeah, we've had a few um
00:25:31.120 --> 00:25:32.710
Heartbeat for those if you follow
00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:35.830
Heartbeat. Um but um as as well as some
00:25:35.840 --> 00:25:38.710
others. Uh but yeah, that's it's a it's
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:40.950
a shortcut to giving people the tools
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.950
they need to actually manage that if
00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.390
they come across it in their everyday
00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:48.470
lives. And then uh however well we do at
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:50.789
supporting individuals, we've got to
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.390
recognize that there are some things in
00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:55.029
society that we really need to fix. This
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.110
is the structural stuff that we need to
00:25:57.120 --> 00:25:58.870
fix to make this better. And whether
00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:01.029
that's working with the government
00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:04.470
around calories on menus, which um is
00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:06.230
really unhelpful if you have an eating
00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.830
disorder, all the way through to some of
00:26:07.840 --> 00:26:11.750
those industries uh like um social media
00:26:11.760 --> 00:26:16.230
uh um AI um and working with those
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.710
industries to say this is what where the
00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:21.029
problems are and this is how to fix them
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:23.510
and and we've had some real real success
00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:26.549
in that. M so you mentioned about um
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:28.390
taking the time to upskill everybody
00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:30.470
that could be involved in a person's
00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:31.990
recovery journey
00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:33.990
>> um for an eating disorder.
00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:37.190
>> That last thing there about calories on
00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:39.590
menus.
00:26:39.600 --> 00:26:42.149
>> What would you suggest as an alternative
00:26:42.159 --> 00:26:44.149
to the calories on menus?
00:26:44.159 --> 00:26:46.390
>> I I um I would like to say follow the
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:48.710
evidence. Okay. So all of the evidence
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.630
currently shows that if you put calories
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:54.870
on menus, it has almost no impact on
00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:57.909
food choices by those who live in larger
00:26:57.919 --> 00:27:01.909
bodies. Um it it can affect a choice by
00:27:01.919 --> 00:27:04.549
around about 70 to 100 calories, but
00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:05.430
nothing beyond that
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:06.149
>> really.
00:27:06.159 --> 00:27:09.430
>> Whereas it has a massive impact on those
00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.269
with an eating disorder.
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:13.110
>> So it's I know that's counterintuitive.
00:27:13.120 --> 00:27:15.110
You'd think, oh, shove calories on menus
00:27:15.120 --> 00:27:17.110
and uh people who are looking to lose
00:27:17.120 --> 00:27:19.909
weight can can calculate. Unfortunately,
00:27:19.919 --> 00:27:23.590
not. That's not how it works. So, uh we
00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:26.070
um we've had success in Scotland. Uh so,
00:27:26.080 --> 00:27:28.789
the Scottish government have um delayed
00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:30.630
putting calories on menus for for that
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:33.909
reason. Um still working on the UK on
00:27:33.919 --> 00:27:35.909
the the the rest of the UK, but we'll
00:27:35.919 --> 00:27:37.590
get there.
00:27:37.600 --> 00:27:39.510
>> That is really interesting. And yes, um
00:27:39.520 --> 00:27:41.029
and the reason I ask that is just just
00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:43.830
from my own very I guess uh you say the
00:27:43.840 --> 00:27:46.149
word parochial uh point of view. Um
00:27:46.159 --> 00:27:48.549
yeah, I I think I would have thought
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:49.990
calories on menus would have been really
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.110
useful for that case. But what you're
00:27:51.120 --> 00:27:53.669
saying is it disproportionately it it
00:27:53.679 --> 00:27:55.669
the impact is negligible in terms of the
00:27:55.679 --> 00:27:57.350
people that it's quote unquote supposed
00:27:57.360 --> 00:27:58.630
to help and actually has a
00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:01.190
disproportionate effect on um well a
00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:03.430
number of others specifically people um
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:05.110
that are having an eating disorder.
00:28:05.120 --> 00:28:06.710
>> And it's back to knowledge to action,
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:08.870
isn't it? is that how do we how do we
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:10.470
develop this research and insight and
00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:11.830
actually put it into place?
00:28:11.840 --> 00:28:12.230
>> Yeah.
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:14.070
>> Um because otherwise we're back to
00:28:14.080 --> 00:28:18.149
making laws and making uh huge uh policy
00:28:18.159 --> 00:28:20.870
decisions nationally rooted in
00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:24.230
misunderstanding, myth and stereotype.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.190
>> So early intervention is a reoccurring
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:29.029
theme. Yeah. Across your strategies,
00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:31.350
your campaigns and your services.
00:28:31.360 --> 00:28:34.389
>> Um what would you say gets in the way of
00:28:34.399 --> 00:28:38.230
people accessing help early? So stigma
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:41.269
>> is a simple one. Um
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:46.470
we we are really looking at a society
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:50.950
where many many young people and and
00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:54.230
older people uh are too ashamed to come
00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:56.870
forward. Shame is a very common emotion
00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:59.669
around eating disorders. uh very sadly
00:28:59.679 --> 00:29:03.510
it is about three years um gap on
00:29:03.520 --> 00:29:05.350
average between someone developing a
00:29:05.360 --> 00:29:08.070
problem and asking for help and during
00:29:08.080 --> 00:29:10.950
that time behaviors be can become really
00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:13.590
entrenched. So and you go from you know
00:29:13.600 --> 00:29:15.269
if you could only intervene early
00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:18.630
sometimes you can redirect whereas by
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:21.990
the time you've waited three years
00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.909
um you can often be looking at someone
00:29:23.919 --> 00:29:26.389
who's really needing some quite in-depth
00:29:26.399 --> 00:29:29.190
help. So there's a lot of work to be
00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:33.110
done and as we've as we've discussed
00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:35.909
this idea of what an eating disorder is
00:29:35.919 --> 00:29:37.909
and this is about barriers to service.
00:29:37.919 --> 00:29:41.510
All too often we've had people go have
00:29:41.520 --> 00:29:43.830
that real courage and bravery that when
00:29:43.840 --> 00:29:45.909
they do ask for help they go to the
00:29:45.919 --> 00:29:48.149
doctor and the feedback they get is
00:29:48.159 --> 00:29:50.630
you're not ill enough yet.
00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:53.350
And uh and that can be devastating. I
00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:55.590
mean, it's it can be life-threatening
00:29:55.600 --> 00:29:57.350
because with a with with an eating
00:29:57.360 --> 00:29:59.029
disorder, that can be seen if you're
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:00.310
told you're not ill enough, that can be
00:30:00.320 --> 00:30:03.350
seen as a challenge and and therefore,
00:30:03.360 --> 00:30:05.430
you know, people are looking to to lose
00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:08.710
even more weight. But more than that, um
00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:10.310
there is I I totally understand it and
00:30:10.320 --> 00:30:12.310
and don't get me wrong, I have never yet
00:30:12.320 --> 00:30:14.470
met a health professional that doesn't
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.070
want to do the right thing by their
00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:18.310
patients. These are extraordinary
00:30:18.320 --> 00:30:21.350
people. My my sister is a is a community
00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:23.990
mental health nurse. Uh I see her making
00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:26.149
incredibly difficult decisions every day
00:30:26.159 --> 00:30:28.470
and she will fight for her patients.
00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:31.669
It's brilliant. Uh but we have to
00:30:31.679 --> 00:30:33.750
recognize that these professionals are
00:30:33.760 --> 00:30:37.110
under extreme pressures.
00:30:37.120 --> 00:30:39.830
>> But it makes sense if only we can get
00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:41.269
treatment in early
00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:45.590
>> then we save so much time, energy, pain
00:30:45.600 --> 00:30:49.350
and money in the long term.
00:30:49.360 --> 00:30:52.470
So restrictive criteria, um stigma,
00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.149
pressure on the system, these are some
00:30:54.159 --> 00:30:55.830
of the things that prevent people
00:30:55.840 --> 00:30:56.789
getting help early.
00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:57.430
>> Absolutely.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:57.909
>> Yeah.
00:30:57.919 --> 00:30:59.190
>> Absolutely.
00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:02.230
>> And of course um digital support plays
00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:04.950
an increasingly um important role in
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:06.710
terms of people accessing help. That's
00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:09.029
whether it's uh self-help tools or um
00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:12.630
you know online communities. So on your
00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:14.310
website, just some of the stats that I
00:31:14.320 --> 00:31:15.510
read, and again, it's incredible
00:31:15.520 --> 00:31:18.470
numbers, you know, um 107,000 people
00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:19.909
plus have access your downloadable
00:31:19.919 --> 00:31:22.950
resources in the last 18 months. Um over
00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:25.190
1 million unique visitors.
00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:27.430
>> And I guess the point here is that we
00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:29.750
know that online communities can be both
00:31:29.760 --> 00:31:31.350
um supportive
00:31:31.360 --> 00:31:34.470
>> but at the same time harmful.
00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:37.750
So from your perspective where beat's
00:31:37.760 --> 00:31:39.590
concerned, how do we help people
00:31:39.600 --> 00:31:41.509
navigate those digital spaces in a way
00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:43.350
that protects recovery while still
00:31:43.360 --> 00:31:45.269
fostering connection?
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:48.230
>> Yeah, I mean it's uh if I had a a simple
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:49.669
answer then I could probably make a
00:31:49.679 --> 00:31:50.710
fortune, couldn't I? But
00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:51.669
>> it's not a simple question.
00:31:51.679 --> 00:31:53.909
>> It's not a no no but we should we should
00:31:53.919 --> 00:31:55.830
wrestle with these you know is exactly
00:31:55.840 --> 00:31:57.509
the mental health community need to
00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:00.710
wrestle with some of these really big
00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:02.549
modern challenges in society. I mean,
00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:05.830
who would have thought um we were we'd
00:32:05.840 --> 00:32:07.509
be facing this sort of challenge? You
00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:09.669
know, this is social media has not been
00:32:09.679 --> 00:32:13.909
around that long. Um and uh and and
00:32:13.919 --> 00:32:15.669
things like that. So, we are learning as
00:32:15.679 --> 00:32:17.909
we go the the positives and the
00:32:17.919 --> 00:32:19.909
negatives of this. So, it's a nuance
00:32:19.919 --> 00:32:21.509
conversation. I don't have a simple
00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:23.430
answer to start with, but there are some
00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:26.070
things I do know. Sure. So one of those
00:32:26.080 --> 00:32:29.830
is that uh making online communities
00:32:29.840 --> 00:32:32.230
safe is something that organizations
00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:36.070
like beat like other trusted uh third
00:32:36.080 --> 00:32:39.029
sector providers can do brilliantly.
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:42.070
Firstly because we have the trust um
00:32:42.080 --> 00:32:44.950
secondly we are able to moderate those
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:46.789
spaces. So, I mean there's so I mean
00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:48.630
really simple stuff. We have brilliant
00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:51.350
peer-to-peer support groups for uh
00:32:51.360 --> 00:32:53.110
people who are who are sharing a
00:32:53.120 --> 00:32:55.269
specific eating disorder journey
00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:56.789
>> and we make sure that when we are
00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:59.110
holding those groups that the questions
00:32:59.120 --> 00:33:01.269
all come and are moderated before they
00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:01.750
appear.
00:33:01.760 --> 00:33:04.630
>> Good. It's a really simple thing and we
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:07.669
have uh someone very highly trained who
00:33:07.679 --> 00:33:09.830
will just scan through a question and
00:33:09.840 --> 00:33:12.870
make sure that there is uh that there's
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:15.830
no element of trigger there. So things
00:33:15.840 --> 00:33:17.190
like that it's it's a relative
00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.950
relatively simple thing to do but it
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:21.110
means you can't remove all humanness
00:33:21.120 --> 00:33:23.190
from the from the from the digital
00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:24.950
space. I I I talk a lot about online
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:26.630
spaces rather than digital spaces
00:33:26.640 --> 00:33:29.269
because I think there is that blend that
00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:32.630
we can do really really well.
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:35.509
It's we do have to accept as well that
00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:36.950
there are spaces out there that are
00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:39.269
actively dangerous.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:41.590
And I think what's uh the responsibility
00:33:41.600 --> 00:33:43.110
we have again as a mental health
00:33:43.120 --> 00:33:46.549
community as beat is not to be scared to
00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:48.230
stand up and tell people that these
00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:50.389
spaces are dangerous. is not just about
00:33:50.399 --> 00:33:52.710
protecting children under 13 or children
00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:55.830
under 16. It's about recognizing that
00:33:55.840 --> 00:33:59.669
all vulnerable people need and deserve
00:33:59.679 --> 00:34:02.870
protection. No one needs to read really
00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:04.789
nasty, dangerous, disordered eating
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:08.550
content. That's not necessary. So, uh
00:34:08.560 --> 00:34:11.510
it's about actually challenging these
00:34:11.520 --> 00:34:14.629
large companies to design for safety. So
00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:16.470
every month we run a series of prompts
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:17.829
through AI
00:34:17.839 --> 00:34:19.909
>> to see what type of information is
00:34:19.919 --> 00:34:21.909
coming back from AI. It's really
00:34:21.919 --> 00:34:23.909
important for us to understand and we
00:34:23.919 --> 00:34:26.790
were very concerned to see that uh
00:34:26.800 --> 00:34:28.869
because it collectates rather than
00:34:28.879 --> 00:34:31.510
curates it was pulling through some
00:34:31.520 --> 00:34:34.069
really dangerous tips, tricks,
00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:38.230
techniques around uh you know anorexia
00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:42.869
pro um stuff. Really very very dangerous
00:34:42.879 --> 00:34:44.389
advice.
00:34:44.399 --> 00:34:48.629
And um I reached out to the companies
00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:50.149
and said, "Look, you know, this is this
00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:51.909
is what we're seeing."
00:34:51.919 --> 00:34:54.230
>> And uh and I suppose one of the things I
00:34:54.240 --> 00:34:57.510
love about uh OpenAI who I've had a
00:34:57.520 --> 00:35:00.470
conversation with is uh because they're
00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:04.550
still in that kind of tech startup
00:35:04.560 --> 00:35:07.829
uh phase, uh their idea of a long time
00:35:07.839 --> 00:35:10.870
is three months. And uh and so they said
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:12.790
to me, "Right, okay, we've fixed this
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.310
one, this other stuff. We're going to
00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:15.589
have to think about it. It might take a
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:17.190
while." I was going away thinking, "Oh,
00:35:17.200 --> 00:35:18.630
perhaps we'll we'll get it done by
00:35:18.640 --> 00:35:21.349
2030." Um well, three months it turns
00:35:21.359 --> 00:35:27.109
out. And uh and uh they I now as of week
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.150
before last um we reran our prompts.
00:35:30.160 --> 00:35:31.430
Doesn't matter what I try, I can't get
00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:33.349
the can't get the dangerous content out
00:35:33.359 --> 00:35:35.270
there. Uh and that
00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:36.950
>> stress testing the AI. I think that's
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:39.510
absolutely and that is transformational.
00:35:39.520 --> 00:35:41.030
>> Yeah. Yeah. Massively. I mean it's you
00:35:41.040 --> 00:35:42.710
know AI it's on the tip of everybody's
00:35:42.720 --> 00:35:43.270
tongue.
00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:45.349
>> Absolutely. It's it's not perfect. Don't
00:35:45.359 --> 00:35:47.990
get me wrong. It is not perfect. But if
00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:50.550
you are a a child or a young person and
00:35:50.560 --> 00:35:53.270
you are using chat GPT to try and get
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:55.270
information, it will not give it to you.
00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:57.510
It will only say I'm concerned about
00:35:57.520 --> 00:35:59.430
you. Why don't you speak to beat? Why
00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:00.470
don't you, you know, have you thought
00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.069
about getting help? Is there anyone you
00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:03.670
trust that you can speak to? Good.
00:36:03.680 --> 00:36:05.030
>> And that is amazing.
00:36:05.040 --> 00:36:08.310
>> Yeah. And I do remember um last year, it
00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:10.150
was around August
00:36:10.160 --> 00:36:11.910
>> um there was an update from OpenAI and
00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:13.349
they spoke very specifically about some
00:36:13.359 --> 00:36:15.190
of the things that uh they're changing
00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:17.349
in order to make um
00:36:17.359 --> 00:36:18.310
>> make it safer.
00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:18.630
>> Yeah.
00:36:18.640 --> 00:36:20.150
>> For for use cases like this in terms of
00:36:20.160 --> 00:36:22.390
people accessing um information from
00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:24.630
trusted sources. Um so it's really good
00:36:24.640 --> 00:36:26.550
to hear that um that's been put into
00:36:26.560 --> 00:36:27.109
practice.
00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:27.589
>> Yeah.
00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:29.190
>> Um and they're, you know, even if there
00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:32.150
are kind of still gaps um in in the
00:36:32.160 --> 00:36:33.829
algorithm, let's say, that they're able
00:36:33.839 --> 00:36:35.349
to address that. and you were able to
00:36:35.359 --> 00:36:36.790
kind of reach the person you needed to
00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:38.630
and um that's really really that's
00:36:38.640 --> 00:36:40.550
really impressive. So so in terms of
00:36:40.560 --> 00:36:43.270
navigating online spaces um safely while
00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:45.349
maintaining connection, it's about um
00:36:45.359 --> 00:36:47.030
thinking about how we work with things
00:36:47.040 --> 00:36:50.230
like AI um thinking about the uh the
00:36:50.240 --> 00:36:52.310
peer the peer support groups and also
00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:53.750
actually not being afraid to actually,
00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:55.829
you know, call out or signpost
00:36:55.839 --> 00:36:57.190
information that we know is actually
00:36:57.200 --> 00:36:59.109
harmful because it's not just like you
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:01.589
say uh kids under the age of 13. It's um
00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:03.510
it's it's it's everybody that you know
00:37:03.520 --> 00:37:05.910
should be protected from um harmful or
00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:06.950
misinformation.
00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:09.190
>> Yeah, absolutely. We all deserve to be
00:37:09.200 --> 00:37:12.550
able to walk into a online space in the
00:37:12.560 --> 00:37:15.109
same way as we would walk into a a space
00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:17.430
in reality and and feel safe.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:19.510
>> Yeah.
00:37:19.520 --> 00:37:21.349
Interesting.
00:37:21.359 --> 00:37:22.870
And I didn't I actually didn't have any
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:24.390
questions lined up about AI, but it's
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.829
interesting how it it tilted towards
00:37:25.839 --> 00:37:27.750
that. Anyway, so um no, thanks for that.
00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:28.950
Just listening to all of that, it's
00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:30.790
clear that while online spaces do
00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:32.310
provide and can offer that sense of
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:34.550
connection, um they can't and probably
00:37:34.560 --> 00:37:36.630
shouldn't carry all of that
00:37:36.640 --> 00:37:39.430
responsibility on their own. Which
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:41.990
brings us which brings me to the formal
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:44.470
role of um or the role of formal
00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:46.230
services. So the services that are
00:37:46.240 --> 00:37:47.750
designed to step in early and
00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:50.710
consistently. So recently we've seen new
00:37:50.720 --> 00:37:53.030
NHS guidance on eating disorder services
00:37:53.040 --> 00:37:54.390
for children and young people.
00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:57.510
>> Mhm. So they place a strong emphasis on
00:37:57.520 --> 00:37:59.349
early intervention, family and carer
00:37:59.359 --> 00:38:01.349
support as well as avoidant restrictive
00:38:01.359 --> 00:38:05.190
food intake disorder also known as ARID.
00:38:05.200 --> 00:38:07.510
So from Beat's perspective, what feels
00:38:07.520 --> 00:38:09.670
like the most significant shift in this
00:38:09.680 --> 00:38:10.230
guidance?
00:38:10.240 --> 00:38:12.630
>> All of it. All of it. I mean this is I
00:38:12.640 --> 00:38:14.150
mean this is the first new guidance
00:38:14.160 --> 00:38:15.829
since 2015
00:38:15.839 --> 00:38:20.310
>> and uh we were really pleased uh about
00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:23.270
how open uh the NHS England was in
00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:26.630
working with us and others uh to really
00:38:26.640 --> 00:38:28.150
get more insight. But I mean if there's
00:38:28.160 --> 00:38:30.150
if I was pointed to one thing that
00:38:30.160 --> 00:38:33.030
simple thing of stating really clearly
00:38:33.040 --> 00:38:34.950
that medical practitioners need to look
00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:37.990
beyond BMI as the single measure for
00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.829
whether someone is ill enough or well
00:38:39.839 --> 00:38:42.870
enough to get treatment. um it puts a
00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:44.950
lot more emphasis on saying BMI is one
00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:46.390
piece of information
00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:48.550
>> but on top of that you that if you look
00:38:48.560 --> 00:38:51.349
at uh parental concerns and behaviors
00:38:51.359 --> 00:38:54.870
are equally if not more important in
00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:56.950
order to diagnose there is something
00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:58.550
happening here that we need to we need
00:38:58.560 --> 00:39:00.310
to intervene now
00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:03.510
>> that is really important now let's not
00:39:03.520 --> 00:39:05.430
pretend that it it it magics up the
00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:06.870
services that are going to be needed in
00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:09.190
order to support that but you can't ask
00:39:09.200 --> 00:39:10.790
for the service if the guidance isn't
00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:11.829
there in the first place.
00:39:11.839 --> 00:39:12.310
>> Sure.
00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:13.750
>> And then the other thing which it
00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:16.390
recognizes is that there is a
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:18.390
responsibility beyond the medical
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:22.150
profession for um recognizing and
00:39:22.160 --> 00:39:23.670
addressing some of these issues really
00:39:23.680 --> 00:39:26.870
early. So I'm I'm really proud that it's
00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:29.990
uh it's it's signposted to our schools
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:32.470
professionals online training. Uh it's
00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:35.109
free again. If there anyone who has ever
00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:36.950
been to a school or knows of a school
00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:38.710
that wants to recommend the school gets
00:39:38.720 --> 00:39:42.069
on online again uh mini modules so
00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:46.230
people can um teachers can can learn and
00:39:46.240 --> 00:39:49.030
really practical actionable advice. Uh
00:39:49.040 --> 00:39:50.710
this is the bit I love. It's the it's
00:39:50.720 --> 00:39:53.349
for the um lunchtime supervisors out
00:39:53.359 --> 00:39:54.069
there. Oh yeah.
00:39:54.079 --> 00:39:55.910
>> And it's like how do you scan a room? to
00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:57.750
scan a whole room at lunchtime. And if
00:39:57.760 --> 00:39:59.589
you can see a child that keeps cutting
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:01.750
their dinner up into smaller and smaller
00:40:01.760 --> 00:40:03.910
pieces, that's a red flag. It's an early
00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:06.069
warning sign. It's a chance not for them
00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:07.589
to intervene themselves. They can they
00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:10.310
can take that back to the pastoral care
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:12.230
and say, "Look, this is concerning." And
00:40:12.240 --> 00:40:14.630
then we can help with uh the online
00:40:14.640 --> 00:40:16.390
training. It's got a whole package of
00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:18.470
how you start those conversations,
00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:21.190
things like that. that is now part of
00:40:21.200 --> 00:40:23.670
this NHS guidance of saying we as a
00:40:23.680 --> 00:40:25.430
community need to group around people
00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:26.870
get in early and then when they get to
00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:29.109
the GP yeah if they've got a change in
00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:30.870
behaviors if you've got concerned
00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:33.997
parents let's get help now really early
00:40:34.007 --> 00:40:34.550
[clears throat]
00:40:34.560 --> 00:40:36.150
>> I I like the well the thing that I take
00:40:36.160 --> 00:40:37.829
from that is um I guess it kind of comes
00:40:37.839 --> 00:40:40.790
back to um the earlier thread about um
00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:42.310
parents and carers feeling maybe
00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:44.470
overlooked or left out and so this
00:40:44.480 --> 00:40:46.390
guidance explicitly kind of recognizes
00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:49.270
that as a as a formal form of support um
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:52.390
behavior behaviors as well. Um and that
00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:54.550
can be recognized earlier if we get the
00:40:54.560 --> 00:40:56.069
knowledge
00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:58.150
and the practical skill sets to people
00:40:58.160 --> 00:41:00.630
that are in a position to um recognize
00:41:00.640 --> 00:41:03.430
the signs and symptoms first aka um the
00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:04.870
lunchtime supervisors.
00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:06.790
>> Yeah. Yeah. I I can give a a personal
00:41:06.800 --> 00:41:09.030
example of this which is uh with my
00:41:09.040 --> 00:41:10.069
daughter. [clears throat]
00:41:10.079 --> 00:41:13.670
>> Um when I first asked for help um I
00:41:13.680 --> 00:41:16.390
finally got a referral to um through the
00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:20.390
system and we know the system and I went
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:23.990
through the entire system to u the
00:41:24.000 --> 00:41:26.069
pediatric consultant and all the tests
00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:28.069
were run, the blood tests, the the test
00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:29.750
for epilepsy, the test for this, the
00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:31.589
test for that and all of those tests
00:41:31.599 --> 00:41:34.069
were negative. And so we reached the end
00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:35.990
of the path and they were really happy
00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:37.430
to tell me that all the tests they done
00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:39.589
were negative and therefore they
00:41:39.599 --> 00:41:41.030
discharged me. That was the letter that
00:41:41.040 --> 00:41:41.829
I got.
00:41:41.839 --> 00:41:44.150
>> And I'm thinking, but nothing has
00:41:44.160 --> 00:41:45.430
changed.
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:47.670
>> My my daughter is still experiencing all
00:41:47.680 --> 00:41:49.349
of these concerning symptoms that I
00:41:49.359 --> 00:41:52.150
started with. And I went back to the GP
00:41:52.160 --> 00:41:54.150
and I and I said to the GP, look, this
00:41:54.160 --> 00:41:55.510
is, you know, we've gone through all of
00:41:55.520 --> 00:41:59.349
this. I don't know what to do. And thank
00:41:59.359 --> 00:42:02.069
goodness for a very very good family uh
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:05.589
GP. My GP said to me, "Look, I have
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:07.829
never come across a situation where a
00:42:07.839 --> 00:42:09.829
parent has said there's something wrong
00:42:09.839 --> 00:42:11.190
and then we don't eventually find
00:42:11.200 --> 00:42:12.950
something wrong. So, I'm going to send
00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:15.030
you around the system again." And when
00:42:15.040 --> 00:42:16.630
we went through the system a second
00:42:16.640 --> 00:42:19.910
time, her her um her disability was was
00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:22.790
discovered. And she's on medication now.
00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:24.550
But everything that flowed from that wow
00:42:24.560 --> 00:42:26.630
>> was was was discovered. So that's a
00:42:26.640 --> 00:42:28.710
monumental shift then in terms of again
00:42:28.720 --> 00:42:31.109
BMI is one thing but actually taking um
00:42:31.119 --> 00:42:32.470
and taking into account real
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:34.870
consideration to uh the parents concerns
00:42:34.880 --> 00:42:36.230
and behaviors as well.
00:42:36.240 --> 00:42:37.910
>> Absolutely. And I again I'd say out
00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:39.670
there if if you're a parent, if you're
00:42:39.680 --> 00:42:42.950
an employer, if you are a um you know if
00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:44.870
you're a friend,
00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:47.589
if you have concerns, if you if you feel
00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:50.390
that there is something going on, then
00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:52.309
that's a very good sign that there that
00:42:52.319 --> 00:42:55.349
there may be something not right. And uh
00:42:55.359 --> 00:42:57.430
I'm not saying you need to pretend, you
00:42:57.440 --> 00:42:59.430
know, develop your medical degree. Um
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:01.109
unfortunately watching, as much as I've
00:43:01.119 --> 00:43:02.870
watched Hobby City, it does not qualify
00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:05.589
you to do a medical diagnosis. But what
00:43:05.599 --> 00:43:08.550
you can do is say, are you okay?
00:43:08.560 --> 00:43:10.790
>> And then you ask a second time. You
00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:12.230
really all right?
00:43:12.240 --> 00:43:14.790
>> And it's that type of opening up,
00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:16.550
getting people to begin to talk about
00:43:16.560 --> 00:43:18.630
these things that will make a
00:43:18.640 --> 00:43:19.349
difference.
00:43:19.359 --> 00:43:21.430
>> It's um it's hold still going.
00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:22.870
>> I don't know. I might be well out of
00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:25.030
date by that. I see [laughter]
00:43:25.040 --> 00:43:27.030
dated you mention that. Yeah. But okay.
00:43:27.040 --> 00:43:29.430
Um okay. So the the guidance also
00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:31.430
recognizes the role of the voluntary and
00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:33.589
community sector um more explicitly than
00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:36.630
before. So given some of the challenges
00:43:36.640 --> 00:43:39.430
that still exist uh in terms of you know
00:43:39.440 --> 00:43:40.710
I think we mentioned one already earlier
00:43:40.720 --> 00:43:42.390
in terms of uh that kind of crisis
00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:45.109
focused care um the restrictive criteria
00:43:45.119 --> 00:43:46.710
in terms of who gets access to help and
00:43:46.720 --> 00:43:49.589
then also at times a lack of almost
00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:52.550
mutual respect between services.
00:43:52.560 --> 00:43:54.870
what as you see it does a good
00:43:54.880 --> 00:43:57.030
partnership between the NHS and
00:43:57.040 --> 00:43:59.030
organizations like BE actually look like
00:43:59.040 --> 00:44:00.950
in practice?
00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:02.630
>> Yeah, I think that first of all I mean
00:44:02.640 --> 00:44:04.950
let's just say I certainly in my time at
00:44:04.960 --> 00:44:07.829
BE I've never met a medical practitioner
00:44:07.839 --> 00:44:09.670
or healthcare worker who doesn't want
00:44:09.680 --> 00:44:11.349
the same as me which is the best outcome
00:44:11.359 --> 00:44:12.069
for patients.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:12.550
>> Okay.
00:44:12.560 --> 00:44:14.230
>> Uh people go into these professions
00:44:14.240 --> 00:44:15.430
because they're passionate.
00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:17.829
>> Absolutely. um it is structures and
00:44:17.839 --> 00:44:19.320
systems that can be limiting
00:44:19.330 --> 00:44:21.829
[clears throat] and uh that's where I
00:44:21.839 --> 00:44:24.069
think there's a huge power for the third
00:44:24.079 --> 00:44:26.309
sector and the NHS to come together. One
00:44:26.319 --> 00:44:27.990
of the things that we're able to do is
00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:31.670
to have uh the flexibility to uh
00:44:31.680 --> 00:44:34.950
research to test to pilot um and to
00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:38.390
offer that back to the NHS um and learn
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:40.550
together to really understand the
00:44:40.560 --> 00:44:41.910
problems and challenges that they're
00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:44.470
facing and find solutions together. So
00:44:44.480 --> 00:44:48.870
the the intensive daycare uh does stuff
00:44:48.880 --> 00:44:51.270
that that we've been working on at beat.
00:44:51.280 --> 00:44:52.710
>> This is the at home.
00:44:52.720 --> 00:44:54.550
>> This is we call Yeah, it's our campaign.
00:44:54.560 --> 00:44:55.670
No place like home. No place like home.
00:44:55.680 --> 00:44:55.990
That's
00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:59.030
>> and um and as I say that was rooted in
00:44:59.040 --> 00:45:02.470
analysis of over a thousand
00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:05.589
uh research papers. Now uh most people
00:45:05.599 --> 00:45:07.349
in the NHS do not have the time to sit
00:45:07.359 --> 00:45:08.790
down and read all those papers. So it's
00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:10.069
hardly a surprise they're not
00:45:10.079 --> 00:45:11.670
necessarily putting in stuff into
00:45:11.680 --> 00:45:14.309
practice. But what our recommendations
00:45:14.319 --> 00:45:16.870
are rooted in is saying what if we can
00:45:16.880 --> 00:45:19.190
get better outcomes for patients. Uh
00:45:19.200 --> 00:45:22.470
deliver care that patients prefer. Um
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:24.790
deliver care that lasts longer. You're
00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:26.710
more likely to stay in recovery if
00:45:26.720 --> 00:45:28.870
you've practiced those skills in your
00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:30.710
own home environment throughout your
00:45:30.720 --> 00:45:33.430
treatment. And it just so happens is
00:45:33.440 --> 00:45:36.069
massively cheaper for the NHS. So that
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:38.390
allows you to then care for more people.
00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:41.190
Um we still need inpatient care. We
00:45:41.200 --> 00:45:43.670
still need probably even you know even
00:45:43.680 --> 00:45:46.710
better in intensive intake patient care
00:45:46.720 --> 00:45:48.870
for a few people but there for other
00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:51.109
people this is a really good option a
00:45:51.119 --> 00:45:52.390
better option
00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:54.150
>> and I think it's a it's an example like
00:45:54.160 --> 00:45:56.870
that where we are and in April we're
00:45:56.880 --> 00:45:59.829
running a a symposium I believe I
00:45:59.839 --> 00:46:01.430
believe we're calling it um which is
00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:04.309
we're bringing together people from ICBS
00:46:04.319 --> 00:46:06.550
uh to talk about the no place like home
00:46:06.560 --> 00:46:08.790
approach but also to help them
00:46:08.800 --> 00:46:11.030
understand what which individual steps
00:46:11.040 --> 00:46:13.510
they need to take to move towards that
00:46:13.520 --> 00:46:15.270
because it can be really hard when
00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:17.990
you've got these complex NHS structures,
00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:20.069
>> integrative care boards.
00:46:20.079 --> 00:46:22.069
>> Uh yes. So this is ICBS,
00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:24.309
>> ICBS, sorry. Yeah. Um so this is the way
00:46:24.319 --> 00:46:27.510
the NHS is is packaged up at a regional
00:46:27.520 --> 00:46:29.190
level and it's all very well. you know,
00:46:29.200 --> 00:46:31.270
I can stand at the front and say, you
00:46:31.280 --> 00:46:33.510
know, on average, we are spending what
00:46:33.520 --> 00:46:38.150
sort of 450 million pounds uh on 35,000
00:46:38.160 --> 00:46:39.670
patients with an eating disorder, most
00:46:39.680 --> 00:46:41.430
of them coming into general medical
00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:45.829
wards. But if you are a local NHS trust
00:46:45.839 --> 00:46:47.589
and you are trying to balance your
00:46:47.599 --> 00:46:49.670
books, what you need is for
00:46:49.680 --> 00:46:51.109
organizations like us to come and say,
00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:52.870
"Look, we can we can help you think this
00:46:52.880 --> 00:46:53.990
through."
00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:55.829
Um and that's you know I'm really keen
00:46:55.839 --> 00:46:58.870
to do more of that to actually give be a
00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:01.829
practical sounding board uh where we
00:47:01.839 --> 00:47:03.910
have we have insight we have uh
00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:06.710
information but also all of that is
00:47:06.720 --> 00:47:08.870
rooted in lived experience and a lot of
00:47:08.880 --> 00:47:10.550
the time we will need to bring that to
00:47:10.560 --> 00:47:12.950
the four that we need to bring that
00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:16.470
patient voice and uh people's voice so
00:47:16.480 --> 00:47:18.710
that those providing the services really
00:47:18.720 --> 00:47:19.990
understand the impact of the decisions
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:22.790
they're making. So more people and well
00:47:22.800 --> 00:47:24.230
yeah I guess the net result off the back
00:47:24.240 --> 00:47:26.470
of that is that more people um get
00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:30.630
access to um the services that work um
00:47:30.640 --> 00:47:31.510
when they need it.
00:47:31.520 --> 00:47:31.910
>> Yeah.
00:47:31.920 --> 00:47:32.470
>> Right.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:33.190
>> Absolutely.
00:47:33.200 --> 00:47:35.270
>> Yeah. And I guess just thinking about
00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:37.589
access um you know despite you know a
00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:39.430
lot of progress over the years um access
00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:42.950
to support still isn't equal. So for
00:47:42.960 --> 00:47:44.870
those that aren't aware, um could you
00:47:44.880 --> 00:47:46.470
talk us through how things like
00:47:46.480 --> 00:47:49.510
geography um identity, poverty, we've
00:47:49.520 --> 00:47:51.109
mentioned stigma already, but you know
00:47:51.119 --> 00:47:53.109
factors relating to somebody's identity
00:47:53.119 --> 00:47:55.829
um where they live etc. um kind of
00:47:55.839 --> 00:47:58.309
affects whether whether they seek help
00:47:58.319 --> 00:48:00.230
um or feels able to actually stay
00:48:00.240 --> 00:48:02.470
engaged with recovery.
00:48:02.480 --> 00:48:06.630
>> Yeah. So um without any question um the
00:48:06.640 --> 00:48:08.309
if you are from a minoritized or
00:48:08.319 --> 00:48:09.750
marginalized group
00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:11.109
>> you have an increased likelihood of
00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:13.670
developing an eating disorder and you
00:48:13.680 --> 00:48:15.589
are less likely to seek treatment for
00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:17.829
that. Uh I don't think that's anything
00:48:17.839 --> 00:48:20.470
for us to be proud of. We have that
00:48:20.480 --> 00:48:21.670
knowledge now.
00:48:21.680 --> 00:48:23.990
>> It's an absolute responsibility on every
00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:26.470
single organization working in this
00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:29.109
space to try and make that not true in
00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:31.270
the future. Um and there is something
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:33.670
about uh access which is absolutely
00:48:33.680 --> 00:48:35.589
fundamental to beat strategy. You know
00:48:35.599 --> 00:48:37.030
that first thing is about making that
00:48:37.040 --> 00:48:40.549
front door wider so that everyone can uh
00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:43.430
can find their way in and then we find
00:48:43.440 --> 00:48:46.150
the help them find the right service.
00:48:46.160 --> 00:48:48.630
>> Uh so yeah I it's without doubt that
00:48:48.640 --> 00:48:53.030
that is a a real challenge and we have
00:48:53.040 --> 00:48:55.829
to recognize that it's not that these
00:48:55.839 --> 00:48:59.430
people are hard to reach. It's very much
00:48:59.440 --> 00:49:01.349
that services have not been designed all
00:49:01.359 --> 00:49:02.710
of the time with them in mind.
00:49:02.720 --> 00:49:03.670
>> That was going to be the next question.
00:49:03.680 --> 00:49:05.030
It's like, okay, we've got the data that
00:49:05.040 --> 00:49:07.190
backs, but actually, you know, why is
00:49:07.200 --> 00:49:08.230
that the case?
00:49:08.240 --> 00:49:11.109
>> It's a whole range of things. So, um,
00:49:11.119 --> 00:49:13.589
uh, and you know, and I'm very mindful
00:49:13.599 --> 00:49:17.589
that I'm sitting here as, um, uh, as a a
00:49:17.599 --> 00:49:19.270
CEO, so I've got, you know, power in
00:49:19.280 --> 00:49:22.390
that capacity. I'm a white woman. Um,
00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:25.349
I'm reasonably well educated. Uh, and
00:49:25.359 --> 00:49:28.150
even I had to fight to get services for
00:49:28.160 --> 00:49:31.349
my child. Um, using, you know, all of my
00:49:31.359 --> 00:49:32.950
highbrow language and looking stuff up
00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:34.950
on the internet. Um,
00:49:34.960 --> 00:49:35.750
>> symposium.
00:49:35.760 --> 00:49:36.549
>> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:37.430
>> I'm going to have to keep that
00:49:37.440 --> 00:49:37.990
afterwards.
00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:41.829
>> Yeah. Um, so it is, um, we've got to get
00:49:41.839 --> 00:49:43.510
real here. I think there is something
00:49:43.520 --> 00:49:46.309
about So there is something about uh, we
00:49:46.319 --> 00:49:48.790
we need people to be seen.
00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:51.750
uh beat have to make sure that we are
00:49:51.760 --> 00:49:54.069
showing representations and training
00:49:54.079 --> 00:49:56.710
people. There is still tons of people
00:49:56.720 --> 00:49:59.270
out there who think that an eating
00:49:59.280 --> 00:50:01.510
disorder is the preserve of uh
00:50:01.520 --> 00:50:03.910
middleclass white teenage girls,
00:50:03.920 --> 00:50:05.910
>> high achieving white teenage girls.
00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:07.349
>> And you're like, well, no, this is not
00:50:07.359 --> 00:50:08.950
true. This is just the people that you
00:50:08.960 --> 00:50:12.870
see. Uh so we need to, I say, make
00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:15.270
people visible. uh and that's a lot
00:50:15.280 --> 00:50:17.510
about uh centering our lived experience.
00:50:17.520 --> 00:50:19.589
So we want to make sure that before
00:50:19.599 --> 00:50:21.910
researchers start picking the topics
00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:23.670
that they want to research. They get
00:50:23.680 --> 00:50:27.030
input from lived experience panels uh to
00:50:27.040 --> 00:50:29.270
be able and experts by experience to
00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:30.870
shape the research they're doing because
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:32.470
otherwise we're just reproving what we
00:50:32.480 --> 00:50:34.150
knew already which is if you just
00:50:34.160 --> 00:50:36.549
interview middle-class white girls uh
00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:38.150
teenage girls that that's
00:50:38.160 --> 00:50:39.589
>> it's an echo echo chamber.
00:50:39.599 --> 00:50:40.069
>> Exactly.
00:50:40.079 --> 00:50:40.470
>> Yeah.
00:50:40.480 --> 00:50:42.069
>> So there's a there's that role that we
00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:44.390
can play. Uh there's also being very
00:50:44.400 --> 00:50:46.870
mindful that of of doing culturally
00:50:46.880 --> 00:50:51.910
sensitive support. So, uh we have we
00:50:51.920 --> 00:50:55.430
have Ramadan um guidance right now um
00:50:55.440 --> 00:50:58.549
available and up and um and actually
00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:01.349
being able to again from people with
00:51:01.359 --> 00:51:02.870
lived experience to talk through what
00:51:02.880 --> 00:51:04.230
it's like to have an eating disorder
00:51:04.240 --> 00:51:08.309
during Randa uh where they're
00:51:08.319 --> 00:51:10.710
the the guidance is really clear that
00:51:10.720 --> 00:51:12.870
you are not expected to to fast if
00:51:12.880 --> 00:51:14.790
you're not well.
00:51:14.800 --> 00:51:17.030
at the same time the the the wanting to
00:51:17.040 --> 00:51:19.990
be part of your community and food being
00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:22.790
such a huge part of that. Um or
00:51:22.800 --> 00:51:24.950
Christmas, we do guidance at Christmas.
00:51:24.960 --> 00:51:27.589
It's like how do you negotiate Christmas
00:51:27.599 --> 00:51:30.790
dinner if if your entire extended family
00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:31.430
is there?
00:51:31.440 --> 00:51:32.710
>> I mean, it's all about food, isn't it?
00:51:32.720 --> 00:51:35.990
>> And it's all about the food. Uh so yeah,
00:51:36.000 --> 00:51:37.670
there are lots of things like that about
00:51:37.680 --> 00:51:39.910
being culturally sensitive um and giving
00:51:39.920 --> 00:51:43.589
people tools that that that reflect the
00:51:43.599 --> 00:51:45.109
things they're dealing with.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:46.950
>> There's also the need to actually help
00:51:46.960 --> 00:51:49.030
them meet other people, peers, people
00:51:49.040 --> 00:51:51.109
who have negotiated these these things
00:51:51.119 --> 00:51:52.790
themselves. And that's where the
00:51:52.800 --> 00:51:54.630
community stuff comes in because it's
00:51:54.640 --> 00:51:57.109
not necessarily about depending on your
00:51:57.119 --> 00:51:58.630
friends, your family, your football
00:51:58.640 --> 00:52:01.910
team. That's the space where we can as a
00:52:01.920 --> 00:52:04.630
third sector create a community out of
00:52:04.640 --> 00:52:06.710
those with shared experience.
00:52:06.720 --> 00:52:09.430
>> What role do employers play in reducing
00:52:09.440 --> 00:52:11.670
some of these inequalities
00:52:11.680 --> 00:52:12.470
>> in access?
00:52:12.480 --> 00:52:12.790
>> Yeah.
00:52:12.800 --> 00:52:13.589
>> To support.
00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:16.710
>> Yeah, absolutely. I this is a really
00:52:16.720 --> 00:52:18.549
interesting one [clears throat]
00:52:18.559 --> 00:52:22.630
>> um because I think
00:52:22.640 --> 00:52:25.910
if you had asked an employer let's say
00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:27.750
10 years ago if you gone to an employer
00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:29.190
and said what are you doing for the me
00:52:29.200 --> 00:52:30.309
to support the mental health of your
00:52:30.319 --> 00:52:32.950
workforce they would look at you blankly
00:52:32.960 --> 00:52:35.349
horrified and go well that's nothing to
00:52:35.359 --> 00:52:37.190
do with us that's that's that's that's
00:52:37.200 --> 00:52:39.349
their personal life.
00:52:39.359 --> 00:52:42.230
If you did that today and they weren't
00:52:42.240 --> 00:52:45.589
able to reel off a whole range of
00:52:45.599 --> 00:52:47.910
workplacebased initiatives that they're
00:52:47.920 --> 00:52:49.030
doing to support the mental health of
00:52:49.040 --> 00:52:51.030
their staff, then you wouldn't want to
00:52:51.040 --> 00:52:53.589
work there. It's absolutely seen not as
00:52:53.599 --> 00:52:55.510
a staff benefit or a perk. It's seen as
00:52:55.520 --> 00:52:56.710
an absolute necessity.
00:52:56.720 --> 00:52:57.190
>> Sure.
00:52:57.200 --> 00:52:59.829
>> And it is. It's brilliant. If you do the
00:52:59.839 --> 00:53:01.670
same now with most employers around
00:53:01.680 --> 00:53:03.829
eating disorders, even though I can tell
00:53:03.839 --> 00:53:06.230
them for absolute sure that there will
00:53:06.240 --> 00:53:07.829
be someone in their workplace who is
00:53:07.839 --> 00:53:09.190
struggling with an eating disorder right
00:53:09.200 --> 00:53:12.150
now, it is that you still get that look
00:53:12.160 --> 00:53:14.950
of slight terror um from many of most.
00:53:14.960 --> 00:53:17.670
So what I would say as an employer is uh
00:53:17.680 --> 00:53:20.150
first of all there is information out
00:53:20.160 --> 00:53:22.390
there that you can you can access to you
00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:24.950
know uh beat or anyone else with there's
00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:27.030
plenty of others come to beat and we can
00:53:27.040 --> 00:53:29.510
uh uh we've got a helpfinder so there's
00:53:29.520 --> 00:53:31.030
tons of information on there that will
00:53:31.040 --> 00:53:34.069
take you to regional charities um but
00:53:34.079 --> 00:53:35.990
but be you've got a load of information
00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:37.670
so I you know I don't want to say
00:53:37.680 --> 00:53:39.510
educate yourself but you're an employer
00:53:39.520 --> 00:53:41.510
you're looking after human beings
00:53:41.520 --> 00:53:45.030
>> and you could be that one trusted person
00:53:45.040 --> 00:53:46.470
that is the difference between someone
00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:50.230
surviving and not. So I would say invest
00:53:50.240 --> 00:53:51.750
in mental health first train uh first
00:53:51.760 --> 00:53:53.670
aid training because that's a brilliant
00:53:53.680 --> 00:53:55.670
thing for your all of your staff and
00:53:55.680 --> 00:53:57.990
employee well-being. Inform yourself
00:53:58.000 --> 00:53:59.910
about eating disorders. Have a think
00:53:59.920 --> 00:54:02.790
about the cultures in your office. If
00:54:02.800 --> 00:54:04.549
your all of your gettogethers, all of
00:54:04.559 --> 00:54:07.190
your social things are built around oh
00:54:07.200 --> 00:54:09.430
let's order pizza in, let's uh let's all
00:54:09.440 --> 00:54:12.150
go for for high calorie beers. Let's
00:54:12.160 --> 00:54:14.950
make it all about the food. then you may
00:54:14.960 --> 00:54:17.270
be unintentionally excluding people or
00:54:17.280 --> 00:54:19.349
causing harm. And I'm not saying you
00:54:19.359 --> 00:54:21.670
can't have fun. I mean, you've come to
00:54:21.680 --> 00:54:24.630
our office, there's always uh there's
00:54:24.640 --> 00:54:26.390
always things going on, but it's the way
00:54:26.400 --> 00:54:29.109
you talk about food. It's the way you
00:54:29.119 --> 00:54:31.349
encourage people to join in and make
00:54:31.359 --> 00:54:33.270
people feel welcome, whatever stage
00:54:33.280 --> 00:54:34.790
they're at.
00:54:34.800 --> 00:54:36.790
>> So, I guess it's uh well, it sounds
00:54:36.800 --> 00:54:38.069
like, you know, employers clearly have
00:54:38.079 --> 00:54:40.470
their role to play, but um
00:54:40.480 --> 00:54:41.670
>> you know, none of this exists in
00:54:41.680 --> 00:54:44.230
isolation. And I guess it brings me to
00:54:44.240 --> 00:54:45.589
or makes me think about the broader
00:54:45.599 --> 00:54:47.510
picture of shared responsibility and
00:54:47.520 --> 00:54:50.790
connection which is exactly what eating
00:54:50.800 --> 00:54:53.270
disorder awareness week 2026 is going to
00:54:53.280 --> 00:54:55.910
be focused on. Um this year's theme of
00:54:55.920 --> 00:54:59.270
course being community. So for a range
00:54:59.280 --> 00:55:01.109
of reasons that we've kind of touched on
00:55:01.119 --> 00:55:02.710
eating disorders can be incredibly
00:55:02.720 --> 00:55:04.710
isolating.
00:55:04.720 --> 00:55:07.030
So as you see it, what is the
00:55:07.040 --> 00:55:09.750
significance of community uh to a person
00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:11.750
who's either struggling with or caring
00:55:11.760 --> 00:55:14.150
for someone with an eating disorder?
00:55:14.160 --> 00:55:16.390
>> Community is absolutely essential.
00:55:16.400 --> 00:55:19.910
>> Um so we know that having even if you
00:55:19.920 --> 00:55:22.630
just have one person, one person that
00:55:22.640 --> 00:55:24.950
you feel you can turn to, that you can
00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:25.990
trust,
00:55:26.000 --> 00:55:27.750
>> that can make a transformative
00:55:27.760 --> 00:55:30.309
difference in your recovery. And that
00:55:30.319 --> 00:55:32.309
can be uh we we think about communities
00:55:32.319 --> 00:55:35.109
sometimes as as family or friends and
00:55:35.119 --> 00:55:36.630
yeah absolutely they're great and
00:55:36.640 --> 00:55:38.549
they're vital but we're also talking
00:55:38.559 --> 00:55:40.950
about those communities beyond that. It
00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:43.829
might be your football team. It might be
00:55:43.839 --> 00:55:45.589
uh your I don't know your theater group
00:55:45.599 --> 00:55:49.910
or cinema group or um if it's my my for
00:55:49.920 --> 00:55:52.549
my daughter it's the sci-fi club at uni.
00:55:52.559 --> 00:55:55.109
Um that's where she found her people. Uh
00:55:55.119 --> 00:55:57.270
>> just out of interest what is she into
00:55:57.280 --> 00:55:59.109
sci-fi wise? We're talking Star Trek. we
00:55:59.119 --> 00:55:59.510
talking?
00:55:59.520 --> 00:56:01.270
>> Oh, no, no, no. It's much more. It's
00:56:01.280 --> 00:56:03.750
there's I You're going to have to I
00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:04.950
don't understand it entirely. There's
00:56:04.960 --> 00:56:07.190
roleplay games nowadays where it's kind
00:56:07.200 --> 00:56:10.950
of a blend of um Amdram Theater and
00:56:10.960 --> 00:56:12.789
Dungeons and Dragons is what I
00:56:12.799 --> 00:56:14.789
understand. Um so, yeah, that that's
00:56:14.799 --> 00:56:16.870
that's more her her bad.
00:56:16.880 --> 00:56:17.270
>> Okay.
00:56:17.280 --> 00:56:18.710
>> So, um but yeah,
00:56:18.720 --> 00:56:19.910
>> there's a whole there's a whole to be
00:56:19.920 --> 00:56:21.030
fair, there's a whole rabbit hole there
00:56:21.040 --> 00:56:22.470
with the whole dungeon. It's not it's
00:56:22.480 --> 00:56:23.589
not the work of a minute to explain
00:56:23.599 --> 00:56:23.910
that.
00:56:23.920 --> 00:56:25.430
>> No, but I I suppose that's the point,
00:56:25.440 --> 00:56:27.349
isn't it? is that our communities are
00:56:27.359 --> 00:56:31.190
the people uh and the organizations and
00:56:31.200 --> 00:56:33.750
the spaces in which we feel welcome and
00:56:33.760 --> 00:56:34.630
we feel safe,
00:56:34.640 --> 00:56:35.349
>> right?
00:56:35.359 --> 00:56:39.349
>> And I can guarantee 100% guarantee that
00:56:39.359 --> 00:56:41.109
if you are out there feeling alone,
00:56:41.119 --> 00:56:42.630
there will be other people out there
00:56:42.640 --> 00:56:45.589
that know you and understand you and can
00:56:45.599 --> 00:56:47.670
support you. So, we've got communities
00:56:47.680 --> 00:56:50.150
that we will create for you around a
00:56:50.160 --> 00:56:52.870
around an eating disorder, but just turn
00:56:52.880 --> 00:56:54.789
to the person next to you. turn to the
00:56:54.799 --> 00:56:56.789
person that you feel you can start to
00:56:56.799 --> 00:57:02.309
trust because they will help if asked.
00:57:02.319 --> 00:57:06.069
>> And so if somebody wants to be a better
00:57:06.079 --> 00:57:08.390
ally to a friend, a colleague, family
00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:10.870
member, partner, what's one thing you
00:57:10.880 --> 00:57:13.270
wish they understood about how to show
00:57:13.280 --> 00:57:13.990
up?
00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:17.990
>> Yeah. So I mean this comes directly from
00:57:18.000 --> 00:57:19.750
uh those those people with lived
00:57:19.760 --> 00:57:22.390
experience who are in recovery
00:57:22.400 --> 00:57:25.510
>> and almost
00:57:25.520 --> 00:57:30.710
all of them would say that they wished
00:57:30.720 --> 00:57:32.630
that someone had said something at the
00:57:32.640 --> 00:57:35.990
time that even if at the time they
00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:37.589
wouldn't have welcomed it and they might
00:57:37.599 --> 00:57:39.829
have got cross about it, they wished
00:57:39.839 --> 00:57:42.549
someone had said something because those
00:57:42.559 --> 00:57:45.030
that did have someone who there who did
00:57:45.040 --> 00:57:47.750
that just started that conversation. A
00:57:47.760 --> 00:57:50.150
lot of times that conversation sat with
00:57:50.160 --> 00:57:52.630
that individual and they were able to
00:57:52.640 --> 00:57:54.630
replay it and think about it and the
00:57:54.640 --> 00:57:56.390
next step for them was getting help.
00:57:56.400 --> 00:57:58.390
>> So for eating disorder awareness week we
00:57:58.400 --> 00:58:00.549
are launching a conversation guide how
00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:02.470
to how to start that conversation.
00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:04.150
>> Uh you don't have to be an expert, you
00:58:04.160 --> 00:58:05.030
don't have to be a clinical
00:58:05.040 --> 00:58:07.910
psychologist, you have to be interested,
00:58:07.920 --> 00:58:11.349
curious, you have to care. uh and
00:58:11.359 --> 00:58:13.910
opening up that conversation as I say
00:58:13.920 --> 00:58:15.910
for for many people it can be the
00:58:15.920 --> 00:58:17.910
difference between survival and not so
00:58:17.920 --> 00:58:20.710
if in doubt always ask
00:58:20.720 --> 00:58:24.630
>> if in doubt always ask love it so when
00:58:24.640 --> 00:58:27.430
you look ahead to 2030 what would that's
00:58:27.440 --> 00:58:29.750
the end of this strategic period what
00:58:29.760 --> 00:58:31.990
would success look like not just for
00:58:32.000 --> 00:58:34.390
beat but the uh the wider system of
00:58:34.400 --> 00:58:37.270
people supporting eating disorders wider
00:58:37.280 --> 00:58:38.710
system supporting people with eating
00:58:38.720 --> 00:58:39.750
disorders Sorry,
00:58:39.760 --> 00:58:41.190
>> it's it's this huge question. I mean,
00:58:41.200 --> 00:58:43.190
and I'm I am a bit of a dreamer on this,
00:58:43.200 --> 00:58:45.829
but uh what's absolutely possible by
00:58:45.839 --> 00:58:48.950
2030, let's say there's more than 1.25
00:58:48.960 --> 00:58:50.150
million people living with an eating
00:58:50.160 --> 00:58:52.470
disorder. There is absolutely no reason
00:58:52.480 --> 00:58:55.670
why every single one of those people
00:58:55.680 --> 00:58:57.030
should not be getting support,
00:58:57.040 --> 00:58:58.470
information, and advice suitable for
00:58:58.480 --> 00:58:59.589
them.
00:58:59.599 --> 00:59:01.990
>> And if you can do that, if you do that
00:59:02.000 --> 00:59:04.069
early enough, then we actually crack
00:59:04.079 --> 00:59:07.430
early intervention. So by 2030, I'd like
00:59:07.440 --> 00:59:09.829
to see that fire break starting to work
00:59:09.839 --> 00:59:12.309
to actually starting to see the fact
00:59:12.319 --> 00:59:14.230
that we are catching people at an
00:59:14.240 --> 00:59:17.270
earlier stage intervening with the right
00:59:17.280 --> 00:59:19.990
uh the right tools, giving them the
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:22.309
space and the support so that we can
00:59:22.319 --> 00:59:24.630
actually get people well before they
00:59:24.640 --> 00:59:28.549
reach crisis. And for somebody that's
00:59:28.559 --> 00:59:30.789
listening that may be struggling [music]
00:59:30.799 --> 00:59:33.349
themselves
00:59:33.359 --> 00:59:35.670
>> or supporting somebody they love, what
00:59:35.680 --> 00:59:37.750
would you want them to hear today?
00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:41.030
So, if you're out there, whether it's
00:59:41.040 --> 00:59:43.270
whether you're just starting to be
00:59:43.280 --> 00:59:45.589
concerned about whether you may have a
00:59:45.599 --> 00:59:46.870
problem
00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:48.630
>> or whether you're facing down that
00:59:48.640 --> 00:59:50.549
incredibly difficult situation where you
00:59:50.559 --> 00:59:52.870
may be having a relapse, [music]
00:59:52.880 --> 00:59:56.069
there is help out there. And it may be
00:59:56.079 --> 00:59:57.510
that you've tried things before and it
00:59:57.520 --> 00:59:59.829
hasn't worked. That's on us. It's on us
00:59:59.839 --> 01:00:02.470
to find the [music] support that works
01:00:02.480 --> 01:00:04.950
for you. All we need you to do is to
01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:07.829
reach out and ask. So, I would say the
01:00:07.839 --> 01:00:10.150
beat helpline is [music] uh open every
01:00:10.160 --> 01:00:13.270
weekday. Uh our website is open 24/7 and
01:00:13.280 --> 01:00:15.109
has got loads of information. Our
01:00:15.119 --> 01:00:18.230
helpfinder, there's there's a ton of
01:00:18.240 --> 01:00:20.549
really brilliant small charities out
01:00:20.559 --> 01:00:23.510
there providing onetoone and face toface
01:00:23.520 --> 01:00:25.510
support. [music] Um and you can pop your
01:00:25.520 --> 01:00:27.510
postcode in and find uh find support
01:00:27.520 --> 01:00:29.589
local to you. But but keep asking.
01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:31.510
>> Never think that you're on your own
01:00:31.520 --> 01:00:34.150
because if you are in any doubt, I am
01:00:34.160 --> 01:00:36.630
here. My organization is here. There may
01:00:36.640 --> 01:00:38.789
only be 85 of us, but I mean, who needs
01:00:38.799 --> 01:00:40.549
more than 85 people? We're working on
01:00:40.559 --> 01:00:43.190
the case. So, challenge us to find you
01:00:43.200 --> 01:00:45.589
the help that you need.
01:00:45.599 --> 01:00:47.910
>> Love it, Vanessa. It's been an absolute
01:00:47.920 --> 01:00:49.670
pleasure. Thanks for joining the show.
01:00:49.680 --> 01:00:51.109
>> Thank you so much.
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:52.630
>> If it's one thing to take away from this
01:00:52.640 --> 01:00:54.150
conversation, it's that support doesn't
01:00:54.160 --> 01:00:55.750
start with services, it starts with
01:00:55.760 --> 01:00:57.750
people. This has been Wellbeing Talk
01:00:57.760 --> 01:00:59.829
with myself, Matt Balffor, your guide to
01:00:59.839 --> 01:01:01.109
all things mental health in the
01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:02.870
workplace. Be sure to subscribe to the
01:01:02.880 --> 01:01:04.470
Let's Go Wellbeing YouTube channel and
01:01:04.480 --> 01:01:11.910
we'll connect on the next episode.
01:01:11.920 --> 01:01:15.892
So, Vanessa that terrible start.
01:01:15.902 --> 01:01:17.922
[laughter]