The Crisis

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, complex, and life-threatening illnesses. Every 52 minutes someone dies from an eating disorder, with Anorexia Nervosa carrying the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition.

In the UK:

• Hospital admissions have risen by 122% in the past decade.

• More than 4% of the population is affected.

• Treatment wait times now average 3.5 years, despite early intervention being the strongest predictor of recovery.

A harmful Health Narrative

Recent rhetoric around making Britain “fat-free” within a decade, fuelled by the rollout of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, risks reinforcing stigma and promoting harmful ideals of health. Beat and clinicians have warned that these medications can be dangerous for those with, or at risk of, eating disorders.

Obesity is framed as “the epidemic of our time”, while eating disorders — rising even faster — remain absent from national strategy. This binary, weight-focused approach to health narrows our definition of wellbeing, isolates vulnerable communities, and compounds stigma. Shame and rigidity around food delay help-seeking, worsen illness severity, and drive up NHS costs. These pressures are then reinforced by an almost £6 billion fitness industry and booming social media culture that thrives on insecurity and often promotes extremes as “discipline” or “wellness”. In this environment, harmful behaviours are too easily overlooked or even praised.

The Neglected Settings: Gyms & Fitness spaces

Unlike schools and universities — where safeguarding and mental health training are in place - no such provision exists for sports & fitness professionals, despite their recognised daily contact with at-risk individuals.

Evidence from European studies suggests:

• Up to 75% of gym staff suspect a client of an eating disorder or exercise addiction, but fewer than half have guidelines or training on how to respond.

• 19.4% of gym members are at risk of disordered eating - in the UK, that’s almost 2 million people.

• People with eating disorders are nearly four times more likely to develop exercise addiction.

Without safeguards, gyms can turn into high-risk environments where harmful behaviours are overlooked, ignored, and too often reinforced.

The Influence of Social Media

Across 50 studies in 17 countries, researchers have shown that appearance-focused platforms, “pro-ED” content, and constant social comparison are strongly linked to body image concerns and disordered eating among young people.

Online pressure to achieve “fit” ideals has also been tied to restrictive and emotional eating among university students, while women who follow fitness and nutrition influencers on Instagram report higher levels of eating disorder symptoms and body dissatisfaction than those who follow entertainment accounts.

Among men, greater exposure to fitness-related social media has been associated with increased body dissatisfaction and stronger intentions to engage in unhealthy exercise behaviours.

Together, these findings show how digital culture feeds directly into fitness spaces — creating environments where risk is amplified.

making it happen

After its first public presentation at a King’s College London policy event — and positive engagement from policy leaders including Dame Louise Casey, Baroness Sally Morgan, and Jonathan Slater — work began with Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, to bring this proposal to life.

The initiative is built around three core measures designed to close the gap in safeguarding across fitness spaces:

1. Screening at sign-up
   Embedding validated screening tools for eating disorders and compulsive exercise into gym sign-up forms and fitness inductions, with GP authorisation required prior to participation for at-risk individuals.

2. Mandatory staff training
   Co-developed with Beat, adapting existing training models already used in schools, universities, and healthcare to equip gym staff with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to identify early warning signs and support those who may be struggling.

3. Public education resources
   Posters, leaflets, and infographics in gyms and fitness spaces to raise awareness of eating disorder symptoms, encourage self-reflection, and signpost people to support.

Together, these measures are low-cost, scalable, and evidence-based. They align with NHS priorities, strengthen early intervention, and respond directly to demand from within the fitness sector.

Why Now?

Eating disorders already cost the UK economy more than £15 billion annually. Addressing them is not just clinically urgent, but economically essential.

With minimal investment, we can deliver compassionate, evidence-based action that saves lives, eases suffering, and shapes a health and fitness industry that is ED-informed.

If not now, when?