Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

This is a question I raised on Tuesday during business questions to Jane Hutt AM, regarding eating disorders:

Bethan Jenkins: As you know, it is Eating Disorders Awareness Week this week. This evening, a new charity, beat Cymru, will be launched in the Senedd. New research by Beaufort Research Ltd in Cardiff has recently been published. It contains shocking statistics, such as that one in five of the 1,000 people surveyed did not believe that an eating disorder was a mental illness. Many saw eating disorders as a lifestyle choice or a teenagers’ fad. Many of those views came from the elderly men who were interviewed, who saw it as a dieting problem gone wrong. In light of this research, will the Government commit to having an anti-stigma campaign in Wales with regard to mental illness? I know that Gofal Cymru supports that, but, in light of this new research in Wales, we need more education for people across the spectrum for them to be informed about how serious an illness an eating disorder is. I urge Members to attend the launch tonight.

Jane Hutt: The fact that our First Minister, Carwyn Jones, will attend the event, demonstrates the Government’s support, commitment and recognition. The Minister for Health and Social Services has also demonstrated her commitment by announcing last July new recurrent funding of £1 million to establish specialist tier 3 teams to improve diagnosis, care and support for people with eating disorders. A framework was issued to the service to inform the development of such teams. I was pleased to attend meetings of your cross-party group in my former capacity as Minister for Education Lifelong Learning and Skills to look at the broader issues. I am sure that you have served people well in raising awareness of this matter and I am sure that Assembly Members will attend the official launch if they can do so.