Clinical Nutrition: Eating Disorder Services in Slough and Berkshire

Running head: CLINICAL NUTRITION
Clinical nutrition
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1CLINICAL NUTRITION
A new study conducted by mental health professionals worldwide has recently placed
eating disorders under fifth and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) in standard
classification of mental disorders (Attia et al. 2013). Eating disorders are highly prevalent among
the general population in London, UK and Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology is the
first one to use this criteria. According to National Health Service (NHS), eating disorders have
reached an alarming stage where the number of hospital admissions increased from 7260 to
13885 in the years 2010-11 and 2016-17 respectively (Brownell and Walsh 2017). Eating
disorder also known as binge eating is characterized by frequent episodes of large amounts of
food eating in short span of time. There is lack of control or sense of shame or guilt with
inappropriate and recurrent compensatory behaviour. This represents a significant public health
issue that are due to severe emotional and physical consequences with high recurrence rates.
Eating disorders are also prevalent in Slough, Berkshire, and London where various
services are available for providing comprehensive care for people suffering from this disorder.
Berkshire Eating Disorders Service, (BEDS) NHS Foundation Trust is aimed at providing
services across all levels of mental health care that is informed by clinical governance and
current research taking into account the perceptions and experiences of people struggling with
eating disorders. They also provide online services where increased level of support is provided
through internet covering the population suffering from eating disorder in Berkshire
(Berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk 2018).
Slough Borough Council also provide eating disorder service having a multi-disciplinary
team comprising of dieticians, psychiatrists, nurse, psychotherapists and psychologists working
closely with young people in developing care tailored for individual needs. Another special
service, Specialist CAMHS Eating Disorder Service is also provided for making eating disorder