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Provision of careÌýfor young men with eating disorders is inadequate says leading specialist
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One of the UK's leading specialists in psychiatry and eating
disorders claims the provision of careÌýfor young men with eating
disorders is inadequate and getting worse.
Ìý
In 2000, the main finding of a report for the Eating Disorder
Association into maleÌýeating disordersÌýwas that not enough was
being done toÌýprovide care for sufferers.
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Eight years on, psychiatrist Dr John Morgan, from the Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders, has told the 91Èȱ¬'s teenage news
programme, Revealed..., that theÌýprovision
ofÌýservicesÌýisÌýdeclining,ÌýasÌýmore and moreÌýyoung men
sufferÌýfromÌýillnesses like anorexia and bulimia.
Ìý
Dr Morgan
says: "One in five young men have some degree of quite extreme
distress because they're not happy with their bodies and they'd
like to change them."
Ìý
He says: "When the report was written there were some (eating
disorder)Ìýunits that had dedicated expertise in male eating
disorders. I think a couple of these have now closed down.
There's a lack of funding, a lack of interest –Ìýyou're dealing
with a situation where you're trying to develop a national
service for men across the country, but the Health Service is now
more focused on the local."
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However, the Department of Health insisted that they are taking
the issue of eating disorders very seriously and funding has
increased.
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A spokesperson says: "It is incorrect to say that
funding has decreased. We take the issue of eating disorders very
seriously. This is why we announced in October a £170million
expansion of psychological therapies to provide better support
for people with common mental health problems such as anorexia.
Ìý
"We are also providing funding worth £131,000 for beat's (the eating
disorders charity) Pathway To Recovery project that provides a
support network for people who have recovered from an eating
disorder."
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Revealed... has been investigating the growing, but hidden,
problem of eating disorders in men.
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The team meet George, a 19-year-old from Somerset, who at 13
became seriously ill with anorexia. At one point he was told by
doctors that he had just weeks to live as his body began eating
its own organs to survive.
Ìý
"I was tested for cancer, AIDS,
gluten allergies, and all various things like that, which really,
I knew deep down, were completely irrelevant," he says.
Ìý
"Everything that your healthy mind says is right – 'you can eat
this, it won't make you fat at all, in fact, it's completely
healthy, it's what normal people do', anorexia would jump in
straight off and be likeÌý– 'what are you doing, this is
terrible'.
Ìý
"You're driven by an evil, deceiving affliction that's
not good, it's really wrong."
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Then there's actor Marcus O'Donovan, who tells Revealed... that
life is a constant struggle between enjoying food, but
alsoÌýfeelingÌýthat heÌýmust look a certain way for film roles.
Ìý
"The pressure is increasing on everyone to look better and better
and better. I like to eat, it's that simple, I love my food, and
I do find that I'm quite worried. I have to watch what I eat and
make sure that I train. It's quite difficult to balance that and
a really happy lifestyle," he says.
Ìý
Revealed... investigates the difficulties doctors face diagnosing
eating disorders in men, considers the relationship between
eating disorders and sport, and looks atÌýthe six-pack and pecs
effectÌý– theÌýgrowing pressure on young men to look good.
Ìý
Revealed... is a 91Èȱ¬ News production for 91Èȱ¬ Switch andÌýis
presented by Anthony Baxter and Charlotte Ashton.
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Notes to Editors
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Please note in any copy:Ìý Revealed... ManorexiaÌýwill be
broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Two, 1.50pm, Saturday 13 September 2008.
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PH
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