Films for Teachers / Professionals / Eating Disorders

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Eating Disorders

Eating disorders in children can develop when their emotional wellbeing gets tangled up with their eating habits – for example, if their self-esteem is dependent on how much they eat or don’t eat. Eating disorders can have a permanent effect on children who are going through puberty and even stunt their sexual development, which is why it is important to notice and address this issue as soon as you can.

To learn more about eating disorders in children, watch our films below or read our eating disorders factsheet and our factsheet on ARFID.

Watch our Films

How to support a pupil living with an Eating Disorder

A short film to help teachers and professionals develop the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to eating disorder risks in pupils.

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Understanding Eating Disorders

Around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders. These disorders can cause serious harm, both physically and emotionally, and they have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Early diagnosis, intervention and treatment is critical. To learn details on the different kinds of Eating Disorders, watch this 8-minute film and read the fact sheet.

You can also watch our Real Life Experience 6-minute film Boys Get Anorexia or visit our Eating Disorders page.

Read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list and free interactive guide.

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Boys get Anorexia too

Eating disorders are more commonly associated with girls. Boys who develop these problems are often misdiagnosed. In this 6-minute film, Jenny Langley, author of ‘Boys Get Anorexia Too’ talks about her experience when her son developed an eating disorder.

Read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list and free interactive guide.

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Bulimia in Young People: Susannah’s story

Aged 10 Susannah became worried about her body image leading to dieting, weight loss, self-harm and bulimia. In this 9-minute film she relates her experience with eating disorders. She began to realise that others had similar experiences and how sharing stories helps recovery.

Read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list and free interactive guide.

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Further information:

Eating disorders are most common in teenagers between the ages of 13 to 17 and they can manifest in a multitude of ways. During school time, especially at lunchtime and PE, signs of an eating disorder will be particularly prominent. Be mindful of how your students behave during these times especially as they can give you an indication of whether a student is developing an eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental illness where a person has an intense fear of gaining weight, often accompanied by body dysmorphia – a distorted view of one’s body. This fear leads them to eat very little or nothing at all, leading to severe and potentially life-threatening weight loss.

Bulimia nervosa is a serious mental illness that stems from being shamed about consuming large amounts of food, and your weight. A person will binge eat as much food as they can in a short space of time – this is often out of their control. They will then purge – making themselves throw up all the food they have eaten to avoid putting on weight from the binge. This leads to severe and potentially life-threatening weight loss.

Binge eating is a serious mental illness which, similarly to Bulimia, involves consuming large amounts of food uncontrollably in a short space of time. Unlike Bulimia, binge-eating does not involve purging. This can lead to extreme weight gain, which can be life-threatening.

While being self-conscious is common in young people of all genders, when a young person is exercising in an obsessive way, or they never bring lunch in or always give it to their friends, this may be a cause for concern. Other early signs of an eating disorder include frequent mood swings, wearing very baggy clothing to hide their figure, secretive behaviour around food, social withdrawal, and poor concentration.

Related Factsheets

Understanding Eating Disorders in Children

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ARFID

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Tips For Teachers

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Understanding Self Harm

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