Beat

November is #MenMentalHealthAwarenessMonth, so we want to ask you to share your experiences of eating disorders as a man and what advice you would give to other men who are navigating recovery right now.

Head to the link and film your answers today 👉 https://bit.ly/4h5AfKY

Get in the Know 👉 Part three: binge eating disorder

Head here to find out more about binge eating disorder: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/binge-eating-disorder/

Photo of multiple legs creating a circle, with trainers pointing towards a ball in the middle. Each of the legs have colourful and patterned socks on them, and sports trainers on. The ball is a white and pink netball. This sits on the tarmac ground, which is marked with yellow lines to indicate a pitch. Over the top of the photo is text. In the top right corner is capitalised white text reading 'Save the Date: 23 February - 1 March 2026'. At the bottom of the photo is capitalised text reading 'Twogether'. The 'Two' is in orange and 'Gether' is in teal. These two parts of the words link with the 'o' and 'g'.

Get your diaries out - our Twogether 2026 dates are here!

This is our fundraiser that runs between 23 Feb - 1 Mar 2026, to coincide with #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek. We want to encourage you to fundraise 'twogether', with your friends, family or colleagues - so why not start planning today?!

October research opportunities 📣

If you want to find out more and take part in one of these studies, follow the links below:
EDEN study 👉 email eden@kcl.ac.uk
VR Café 👉 https://bit.ly/4eiy4jW
EDGI 👉 https://bit.ly/3yPLEfB

Teal background with dark purple text. Large capitalised title reads 'Blog call out'. Diagonal to this on the right is an illustration of a purple hand holding a blue microphone up to the title. Below the title is regular, smaller text reading 'October is Menopause Awareness Month, so we want to give you the chance to spread awareness and share how your eating disorder may have been affected by menopause. If you’d like to share your experiences, head to our blogs page and send us your story.'

October is #MenopauseAwarenessMonth, and we'd like to give you the opportunity to share how your eating disorder may have been affected by menopause.

If you'd like to share your story, head to our blogs area here: https://bit.ly/3PLaMcc

Photo collage of different activities with text over the top. This text is white and teal with dark purple border, reading 'Take on the Beat 1-2-5 Challenge'. In the bottom right corner is the Beat 1-2-5 Challenge logo in the same colours. The collage photos from left to right are: two hands knitting with purple wool, three people walking their different-sized dogs in a park, small figure of someone walking in a valley, hand with handmade bracelets bundled in the palm, young woman outside painting the frame of a mirror, group of students smiling at the camera under an old archway, cyclist on a gravelled path with their back to the camera, hands tying up the laces on a running trainer, tray of homemade chocolate cupcakes with different designs, woman with two walking poles smiling with arms out wide and mountain behind her, man mid-stroke swimming in green-blue water, a hand with bracelets draped over the palm.

BEAT 1-2-5 IS HERE! It's October, which means it's time to take on your Beat 1-2-5 challenges ⭐

It's not too late to take part if you want to get involved! Let's take on the Beat 1-2-5 Challenge to spread awareness for the 1.25 million people across the UK who are affected by eating disorders today

Graphic with dark purple background and white text. Title text reads 'Why might people from the black community not be able to access early support for eating disorders?' Below, three blocks of text are in coloured arrows. At the top, in the red arrow, text reads 'Past negative healthcare experiences - such as being denied eating disorder help - so they don’t want to return to that same setting'. Below, in the yellow arrow, text reads 'Prevailing stereotypes on who ‘can’ have an eating disorder may convince someone that they don’t have a problem'. And, finally, in the green arrow text reads 'Lack of understanding or fear of mental illness from family and friends, preventing someone with an eating disorder from recognising that they may have one'.

Graphic with dark purple background and white text. The title reads 'Here's what you can do to support those in the Black community who need eating disorder support'. Bullet-pointed text below reads 'Challenge harmful stereotypes around eating disorders and the Black community. Remember that anyone can get an eating disorder at any time.' 'Check in on your friends from Black and other minoritised groups. If they disclose they need support, don’t minimise their disclosure - show them our website and how to access the Helpline'. 'If they feel anxious about attending a GP appointment for their eating disorder, offer to go with them. You’ll be able to back them up if they’re not taken seriously'.

Graphic with dark purple background and white text. Title reads 'Why might people from the Black community be more at risk of developing an eating disorder?' Below this, text is in different speech bubbles, all in the red, yellow and green colours. These read as 'Racial discrimination (Literature review from Swann et al, 2021)'. 'Stereotype of being a ‘strong black’ individual, so may feel like they won’t be taken seriously (Mantovani, Pizzolati and Edge, 2016; Watson-Singleton, 2017)'. 'Lack of representation, from Black clinicians, dietitians and therapists, to media about eating disorder cases (Goode-Cross and Grim, 2014)'. 'Food insecurity (Black Beetle Health report, found on MindOut)'. 'Lack of research on eating disorders in Black and minoritised ethnic communities'. 'Culturally insensitive diagnostic criteria'. Some of these speech bubbles are starred, and text at the bottom explains this as 'From Orri’s webpage ‘Eating Disorders and the Black Community’.

Graphic with dark purple background and white text. The title reads 'And if you're a healthcare professional, here's how you can help your Black patients'. Bullet-pointed text below reads 'Challenge your and other healthcare professional’s assumptions about eating disorders in minoritised ethnic groups. Spotting eating disorder signs early, could help a patient on the road to recovery faster'. 'Support eating disorder research that focuses on underserved groups. Make sure you meaningfully include lived experiences in this work'. 'Appoint diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and leaders in the work place, to ensure that race and ethnicity is taken into consideration with patients and clinicians when deciding treatment'.

October is #BlackHistoryMonth, and we want to use this time to spread awareness for eating disorders in the black community - and what we can all do to support those in minoritised ethnic communities to get the help that they need for eating disorders

Photo of a small brown French bulldog with large ears, holding a piece of paper in their mouth. Handwritten text on it reads 'How much you weigh is the least interesting thing about you'.

In today's blog, Caitlin shares how her dog became her biggest supporter during eating disorder recovery.

Read more here: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/your-stories/anorexia/the-power-of-a-dog-caitlins-story/

Don't miss out on the chance to have your questions heard by the Health Minister, when our CEO Vanessa meets with Steph Kinnock MP in October: campaigning.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/page/178499/...

What do YOU want the Health Minister to know about eating disorders?

I’m meeting Stephen Kinnock MP about the need for more research into ED. But it’s also a chance to share more. I’ve heard from experts by experience. But, if you could have the Health Minister hear one thing, what would it be?

Photo of a young white man smiling at the camera, with wild greenery and misty mountains behind him. He has short brown hair, wears a purple Beat-branded t-shirt and is holding two walking poles in his hands. Over the top of the photo, above his head, is white text with purple borders in an arc reading 'Our fundraiser of the month is'. At the bottom of the photo is the same style text but larger, reading 'Sam!'.

Photo looking over some mountains, with the sun rising on the left, through misty clouds. The mountains appear green under the light, and on the right is a blue lake going between.

Photo of a young white man in full head-to-toe black clothes and balaclava, holding up his hands showing ten fingers. He has a wide grin on his face. Behind him is thick cloud, as he stands on top of a mountain side.

Photo looking across a mountain scene. The sky is colourful, with the sun setting creating an orange glow. Underneath is mountains and heathland.

Our fundraiser of the month is... Sam!

For his challenge, Sam climbed Snowdon a whopping 10 times, raising over £1800 for us so far! Thank you so much Sam for taking on this epic challenge, you're a star ⭐

Get in the Know 👉 Part Two: T1DE

Today, we wanted to spotlight #T1DE, which is type 1 diabetes with disordered eating. You can find out more about T1DE here: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/type-1-diabetes-with-an-eating-disorder/

Photo of a young woman mid-stride, running. They are looking past the camera, with a determined yet calm look on their face. They have short dark hair and have a purple patterned headband on. They are wearing a purple Beat-branded t-shirt, with a teal runners vest over the top. Behind them, in the blurred background, are other runners going down the road. Near the top right corner, on the right side of the female runner's head, is white text reading 'Be part of Team Beat for Edinburgh Marathon 2026'.

Take to the iconic streets of Edinburgh in the UK’s second most popular marathon/half marathon on Sunday 24 May 2026!

Sign up or register your place here: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-our-work/fundraise-for-beat/take-on-a-challenge/edinburgh-marathon/

Graphic with purple background and large, white capitalised text. This is in the middle of the graphic and reads 'Be proud of your progress'. From the bottom left corner is an illustration of two blue hands making a heart sign with their thumbs and forefingers.

Remember that every step forward, no matter how small, is still a step in the right direction 💜

Selfie photo taken by a young white female student with long blonde hair and a fringe. Behind them are three other students smiling, waving dark purple Beat-branded paper flags. They are inside a hall.

Photo of a hand with 5 bracelets draped over the white palm. The bracelets are all different coloured flowers made up of beads.

Photo of a young white woman smiling at the camera, on a path with greenery on either side behind her. She has brown hair, long beaded earrings, and has a purple Beat-branded t-shirt on. She has walking boots and waterproof trousers on too.

Selfie-photo taken in a mirror by a young white woman in a gym. She is on a treadmill, and wears sportwear. Next to her is another young white woman also on a treadmill, smiling wide.

We're just over a week away from the Beat 1-2-5 Challenge! Thank you so much to everyone who has already signed up, and if you haven't already, there is still time: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-our-work/fundraise-for-beat/beat-1-2-5-challenge/

Graphic with orange back and white italicised quote text in the middle reading "For the first time, I had an explanation - a name - for what I had been experiencing for over a decade. It wasn't just in my head. I wasn't alone. I had ARFID."

In our latest blog, Fran shares her experience of #ARFID and how being diagnosed allowed her to access support to get her to where she is today 💜 You can read more here 👉 https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/your-stories/arfid/from-guilt-and-understanding-my-arfid-journey-frans-story/

Graphic with dark purple background and large white capitalised text taking up the majority of the graphic, reading 'No one should feel alone with an eating disorder'.

No one should feel alone, especially if they’re struggling with an eating disorder. We want to make sure we can help as many people as we can in the UK who are affected, and you can help us do this. with just £5 per month. Donate today 👉 https://bit.ly/4847eMW

Part THREE: eating disorder fact vs fiction 📣
We want to bust the myths and move over the misconceptions to spread awareness for eating disorders.

Today, we're talking about who 'can' get an eating disorder - hint: it can be anyone!

Teal background with lighter teal silhouette of the United Kingdom over the top. Dark purple text in the middle. Small text reads 'Help us support the' and in larger, capitalised text 'expansion of intensive community and day services', and smaller text again 'for eating disorders across the UK'.

If you've got LIVED EXPERIENCE of an eating disorder, or have supported someone with an eating disorder, fill out our survey here 👉 https://bit.ly/46hZdBB

If you're a CLINICIAN, fill out our survey here 👉 https://bit.ly/4gs2svd

The DEADLINE is Wednesday 8 October 9:00am

Did you spot our ad in the #FinancialTimes over the weekend?

Eating disorders need to be taken seriously. With 1 in 50 people affected, you probably know someone who might be struggling. Share our video to spread awareness, or donate to help us help those who need us: https://bit.ly/4goEHUF

Graphic with light grey background and dark purple text. The text is at the bottom of the slide, in large capitalised letters, reading 'Self-Care Sunday'. From the top left corner comes an illustration of purple hands cupping some teal soil, with an orange and white flower growing out of it.

Graphic with a light grey background and dark purple text in the middle reading 'Journaling is a great way to relax, feel productive and get creative on something that is truly your own. It allows you to get out your thoughts and emotions onto the page, and understand them.' From the top left of the graphic comes an illustration of a purple hand holding a pen, down to the text below.

Graphic with a light grey background and dark purple text. The title at the top reads 'How to get started'. Underneath, the text is scattered around, reading 'Writing down the best parts of your day, doodle, goals, come up with a poem or song, lists, highlight what you're grateful for, scrapbook, what are you proud of?, daily intentions, affirmations, diary'. From the bottom ride side comes an illustration of a purple hand holding a shining orange star in their forefinger and thumb.

Graphic with a light grey background and dark purple text in the middle reading 'How will you be self-caring this Sunday?'

It's Self-Care Sunday! We wanted to reshare with you one of our favourite ways to take positive time out for yourself - by journaling ✏️

If you want to try out journaling, check out our suggestions of how to get started!

How will you be self-caring this Sunday? ⭐

Photo of a young white woman smiling, holding up a gold medal around her neck. She is sitting down on a train. She is wearing a dark purple Beat branded t-shirt, the gold medal on a red ribbon, and a shiny silver foil blanket over her shoulders. Capitalised white text over the top of the photo in an orange box, near the bottom, reads 'feeling inspired?'

Feeling inspired to take part in a half marathon after watching the Great North Run? Fundraised this year and want to do it all over again? Why not sign up to fundraise for Beat! Dust of those running shoes and sign up today: https://bit.ly/3Vuzb9z

Graphic with dark purple background and large capitalised white text. Text at the top of the graphic reads 'Eating disorders can be deadly...' and in larger text below reads 'We need your help to change this.'

“[The Helpline advisor was] very supportive, kind, caring and I felt listened to. Also felt like I was given a gentle but firm nudge to speak to my GP and get the help I need.”

A £5 donation will help us answer calls from people who have nowhere to turn: https://bit.ly/4847eMW

Eating disorders can be deadly. We’re on a mission to help support those who are affected to get the help they need. But we can’t do this without you. Just £5 a month will help us help those who need us most. Donate today 👉 https://t.co/VoiArqQqYu https://t.co/UGHfD9zuiJ

Announcing the shortlist for Helpline Awards Employee of the Year.

💜 Jamie Brett, NacoaUK —the National Association for Children of Alcoholics
💜 Donna Craine, Humanists_UK
💜Andrea Pereira, SNAP
💜Dan Woodley, SafelineUK
💜Melissa Wylie, RuralSupport
💜Marni Yard, @beatedsupport.bsky.social

Graphic with an orange background and white text. The capitalised title at the top reads 'Westminster Hall debate on the prevention of deaths from eating disorders'. Underneath is a photo of a man, with dark hair, glasses and a navy suit with a red tie. He is holding papers in his hand, addressing a room around him. Behind him are other people in formal dress. Underneath is the caption 'Led by Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) MP'.

Graphic with an orange background and white text. The capitalised title at the top reads 'Opening the debate as both an MP and a father, Richard said'. Below, on the left, is a dark purple speech bubble with an italicised quote inside reading “I have brought forward this debate not only as an MP, but as a father who for some years was genuinely fearful as to whether I would see my child reach their 18th birthday... Watching your child struggle not only with the illness but with the very treatments meant to help them is truly something I would not wish on any parent.” The speech bubble is leading to a cut-out photo on the right of the same man as on the front slide. He is looking to the right and is mid-speech, holding his papers firmly in his hand

Graphic with an orange background and white text. The capitalised title at the top reads 'Over 20 MPs raised a number of concerns, including that'. Below this is text in bullet points, reading 'Eating disorder deaths are under-reported – MPs called for a national register and confidential inquiry. Failures in care are costing lives, with families told loved ones must deteriorate before help is given. Concerns over private equity providers prioritising profit over patient safety – calls for stronger NHS-led care. MPs warned against withdrawing treatment by labelling patients “terminally anorexic”. ARFID and T1DE need better recognition, pathways and specialist funding'. From the bottom right corner is a cut-out photo of a woman talking. She has short brown hair pushed back with her glasses, and wears a green shirt. She is talking passionately with her hands.

Graphic with an orange background and white text. The capitalised title at the top reads 'Responding on behalf of the government'. Subtitle underneath reads 'The Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, said'. Below is a dark purple speech bubble with text inside reading “Every death from an eating disorder is a tragedy… but we must be clear that eating disorders are not terminal illnesses. With the right treatment and support, recovery is possible.” This leads down to a cut-out photo of a man talking. He has a bald head, wears glasses, and a black suit with a red tie. Bullet points below read '£106m for children’s services in 2024/25, helping cut waiting lists. Record 3,138 children entering community treatment this Spring. A national audit to improve data and monitor services. More community care, early intervention & mental health teams in schools. Updated guidance for children’s services (date TBC). Work to improve how eating disorder deaths are recorded'.

Last Tuesday, MPs came together for a Westminster Hall debate on the prevention of deaths from eating disorders, led by @richardquigley.bsky.social
The message was clear: eating disorder deaths are preventable & more must be done so everyone gets the right treatment at the right time.