Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the extent of the awareness of men's eating disorders; and if he will take steps to improve awareness of the support available.

We are aware of the research carried out by the eating disorder charity Beat which estimates that one in four people living with an eating disorder in the United Kingdom are thought to be male, and the majority of those who took part in that research felt that raising awareness would help more men to get treatment sooner.

Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening conditions that can affect people of any age, gender, ethnicity or background. We know that people with eating disorders can face stigma around their disorder, which can stop them from reaching out for help and support. To support early identification, the Government recognises that raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with eating disorders and other mental health conditions is paramount. It is good to see Parliamentarians playing an important part in raising awareness of eating disorders in men through the debates and questions in both Houses this week, which is National Eating Disorders week.