Number of children hospitalised with eating disorders rockets by more than 500 per cent in a decade, study reveals

The number of children hospitalised with eating disorders has rocketed by more than 500 per cent in a decade, a major study found.

Figures show a two-thirds increase (65 per cent) in under-18s being treated on acute medical wards because for mental health concerns between 2012 and 2022.

Girls aged 11 to 15 saw the most significant leap with experts warning of ‘striking rates of self-harm’.

But the starkest statistics showed that admissions for eating disorders jumped from 478 to 2,938 over the same period – a rise of almost 515 per cent.

Researchers suggest a lack of community care is exacerbating the issue, which other studies have linked to social media use.

The team analysed data on all admissions for five to 18-year-olds to general acute medical wards in England over a ten-year period.

These wards are separate to specialised mental health wards and provide rapid assessment, treatment, and care for patients who are usually referred via A&E, their GP or an outpatient clinic.

The…