The invisible epidemic of eating disorders in Britain

<p><strong><em>Content warning: </em></strong><em>this episode contains discussion of eating disorders and mentions of suicidal thoughts.</em></p><p>At times during the pandemic, it's felt like diet and exercise - or at least worrying about them - has become a national obsession.&nbsp;But what if your weight was already an obsession? Today we speak to people struggling with eating disorders,&nbsp;which have been on the rise in the past year, and examine the ways these conditions are still misunderstood.</p><p>This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reader of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/subscribe/?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=audio&amp;utm_campaign=podcastsubs&amp;utm_content=storiesofourtimes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes</a>.</p><p><strong>Guests:&nbsp;</strong></p><p>- Lara, recovering from an eating disorder.</p><p>- <a href="https://twitter.com/davechawner?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dave Chawner</a>, standup comedian, presenter and author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3qRj7fW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Weight Expectations</em></a>.</p><p>- <a href="https://twitter.com/AgnesAyton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr Agnes Ayton</a>, Chair of the Faculty of Eating Disorders at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.</p><p><strong>Host:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/manveen-rana?page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Manveen Rana</a>.</p><p><strong>Resources if you or a loved one are struggling:</strong></p><ul><li>Samaritans: call 116 123 or visit: <a href="https://www.samaritans.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">samaritans.org</a></li><li>Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity: <a href="www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beateatingdisorders.org.uk</a>&nbsp;</li><li>You can also try Hub of Hope, the UK’s leading mental health