Wera Hobhouse Calls On Students To Help Tackle Eating Disorders

9 January 2019

Wera Hobhouse is asking for Bath’s students to help her improve how we tackle eating disorders in this country.

She has tabled a motion in Parliament that now has cross party support from all Parties represented in Westminster.

Wera said; “It’s great my motion has received support from across the house, but we need more MPs to show a commitment to tackling this very important issue. This is why I’m asking students in Bath to write, tweet or meet their home MPs to ask them to support my motion!”

Wera in Parliament with eating disorder campaigners following her speech on the subject

It’s estimated that over 2000 people in Bath suffer from an eating disorder, yet many remain undiagnosed. Whilst many people with eating disorders will not have taken steps to seek treatment, others have visited GPs, only to be told that they aren’t thin enough to warrant diagnosis.

Hope Virgo, who started the #DumpTheScales campaign said; “there is a disconnect between the NHS England guidelines, that say BMI should not be relied on to diagnose eating disorders, and the experience of people in surgeries across the country. I’m glad that Wera is taking action in Parliament, and I encourage students to get involved, make their home MPs listen, and join our fight to improve diagnosis and treatment for eating disorders.”

Hope Virgo has been campaigning for better diagnosis and treatment for people with eating disorders

Wera continued: “This is an incredibly important issue to large numbers of people both in Bath, and across the country. I hope that other politicians will put party differences aside and work together to improve people’s lives who are suffering with eating disorders, and other types of mental distress and illness.”

If you would like to support Wera and Hope in their campaign by lobbying your MP, please click here!

Wera will send you a campaign pack, with a template e-mail, suggested tweets, and social share images, making it very easy to you to lobby your home MP.

You can also sign Hope’s petition to #DumpTheScales here.

Watch Wera's speech on Eating Disorders:

Read more about the motion: