More care needed for children with eating disorders

Doctors say that young children need more help to treat eating disorders. The British Journal of Psychiatry says three in every 100,000 kids under 13 have an eating disorder of some kind. This figure also includes children as young as six.

The University College London used data collected by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health from March 2005 to May 2006. The results were taken from the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The study found 208 cases of eating disorders in children aged between five and 13 with 82 per cent of them girls.

A consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Dr Dasha Nicholls said: "There is an urgent need to consider the needs of children with eating disorders separately and not simply lower the age range of existing adolescent services."

"We are providing around £400m over the next four years to expand psychological therapies” said Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister.

“Some of this funding will enable the development of standalone programmes that extend access to these therapies for both children and young people.

“Early intervention is essential for those with eating disorders and we need to be clear that GPs are choosing appropriate treatments, from physical and psychological treatments to medicines."