Education Adviser, Lucie Welch, explores the crucial link between eating disorders and mental health, sharing actionable advice for fostering supportive school communities…

BEAT’s annual Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2026 is taking place from 23rd February to the 1st March 2026. This year, the theme is Community, highlighting the vital role that supportive, open and trusting environments play in helping children and young people who are living with eating disorders.

What are eating disorders?

For many children, disordered eating behaviours develop as a response to a mental health issue or challenging life experiences. These behaviours can take many forms, such as restricting food intake, consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time or attempting to compensate for eating through harmful actions including self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, prolonged fasting or excessive physical activity. For many young people, they may display more than one of these behaviours at any time.

While food is the most visible aspect, eating disorders are fundamentally rooted in emotional and psychological distress. Changes in eating patterns can provide a temporary sense of control or relief, even if the individual is not consciously aware of this.

Common diagnostic categories include:

• Anorexia nervosa – characterised by restrictive eating patterns and an intense fear of gaining weight.
• Bulimia nervosa – involves recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours such as purging.
• Binge Eating Disorder – marked by repeated episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviours.
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – restrictive eating that is not driven by body image concerns, more commonly seen in younger children and those with sensory sensitivities or neurodivergent profiles.
• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED/EDNOS) – An umbrella term describing clinically significant eating disorders where symptoms cause serious distress but do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for one of the specific disorders above.

These conditions often co-occur with other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive features, complicating diagnosis and intervention.

Eating disorders in children and adolescents

While eating disorders can occur at any age, they most frequently develop during adolescence, which is a time of rapid physical, emotional and social change. Age-specific prevalence data from NHS Digital’s 2023 report shows:

• 2.6% of 11–16 year olds have an eating disorder.
• 12.5% of 17–19 year olds are affected.

Rates are substantially higher in young women compared with young men, but eating disorders affect all genders, cultures, ages and backgrounds.

Why schools should be alert

School staff are uniquely placed to notice early indicators of distress, as they see children regularly across different contexts and stages of development- they know what’s normal or what’s unusual and they see the child without their parents- which other professionals don’t get to do.

Subtle changes in behaviour are often the earliest signs of an emerging eating disorder, and these may include:

• Changes in eating habits, avoidance of meals or persistent preoccupation with food and calories.
• Increased anxiety about body shape or weight, including wearing clothing designed to conceal the body.
• Social withdrawal, reduced participation in lessons or disengagement from activities the child previously enjoyed.
• Noticeable shifts in mood, including irritability, low energy levels or unexplained fatigue.

It is important to recognise that physical indicators such as low weight or BMI are not reliable early warning signs.

Behavioural and emotional changes frequently appear well before any significant weight loss, and an over-reliance on physical markers can delay recognition and support. NHS England guidance highlights that eating disorders should not be assessed or ruled out based on weight alone.

It is essential to remember that although education professionals are well-positioned to spot warning signs, they are not in a position to diagnose eating disorders and this must be done by medical professionals.

If a staff member suspects a student is struggling with disordered eating, they should follow safeguarding protocols to ensure the right help is sought.

The link between eating disorders and mental health

Eating disorders rarely occur in isolation as they are intertwined with broader emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Research demonstrates substantial overlap with:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression and low mood
• Trauma responses or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
• Obsessive-compulsive traits

Eating disorders can also contribute to significant emotional isolation and can elevate risk for self-harm and suicide if not addressed early and comprehensively. For these reasons, eating disorder awareness must be seen as part of Safeguarding and a whole-school mental health provision, not just nutrition education.

Why eating disorders can be isolating

For young people experiencing disordered eating, feelings of isolation are common and can be deeply entrenched. This isolation is often driven by:

• Stigma and misunderstanding, including persistent myths that eating disorders are about vanity or appearance rather than emotional distress.
• Secrecy and concealment, such as hiding eating behaviours or avoiding situations where food is involved, often due to fear of judgement or not being believed.
• Internalised shame, which can prevent children and young people from speaking openly or seeking help.

Research from BEAT highlights the hidden nature of these illnesses, with many individuals not realising themselves that they have an eating disorder for around 18 months. Additionally, many people who struggle with disordered eating may wait several years before seeking support and a significant proportion never accessing help at all.

This delay increases risk and reinforces isolation, particularly for children and adolescents who may struggle to articulate what they are experiencing.

As started earlier, it is really encouraging to see that the theme of Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2026 centres on ‘Community’, recognising that connection, understanding and safe support networks are powerful protective factors.

Building supportive school communities

Schools can help create a safe and supportive environment by:

1. Promoting open conversation about mental health and eating difficulties.

2. Training staff to recognise early signs and respond compassionately.

3. Providing clear pathways for referral to children’s social care, school nurses or external support such as the Beat HelpFinder directory.

4. Ensuring inclusion of all genders, ethnicities, body types and neurodiversity in health and wellbeing education.

5. Encouraging peer support and community, thus reducing shame and isolation.

Summary

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions affecting thousands of children and adolescents in the UK. With rising prevalence and profound impacts on wellbeing, education professionals play a crucial role in early identification and in fostering communities where all young people feel seen, heard and supported.

By strengthening awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting genuine support, schools can make an enduring difference during Eating Disorder Awareness Week and beyond.

If any of this has got you thinking and you’d like more support or advice, our expert RSHE and Safeguarding Advisers can help. Contact us on safeguarding@servicesforeducation.co.uk for more information.

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  About the Author

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.