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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the NHS should not be cutting funding for Anorexia and EDs if they are going to be spending ££££ on weight loss jabs

286 replies

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 07:12

Anorexia and ED numbers are soaring. My daughter has battled the disease for 6 years. It kills far quicker than obesity and the sooner it is treated the better the outcome. During the last few years I have witnessed so many parents fighting for treatment and now in some severe cases patients are just being given palliative care.

Most areas are now planning cuts to specialist eating disorder services.

The fact we apparantly have ££££ to spend on weight loss jabs when children and young people are essentially being left to die is not ok and highlights a quick fix medicated approach by the NHS as opposed to longer term MH provision.

OP posts:
cardibach · 10/03/2025 16:49

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:48

Didn’t say that. I do however think treatment for Anorexia and EDS should be a priority and not something that where funding is cut.

Funding hasn’t been cut. It’s increased above inflation. Is it enough? Almost definitely not. But it’s not being cut. Stop scaring people.

MummytoE · 10/03/2025 16:48

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:48

Didn’t say that. I do however think treatment for Anorexia and EDS should be a priority and not something that where funding is cut.

Priority over what? Everything?

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:48

Audhdmum · 10/03/2025 16:46

I’m certainly not the only poster who has noticed your prejudice against people with obesity. You seem to have decided that people made seriously ill by their weight don’t ‘deserve’ NHS treatment for their obesity. That indicates to me that you feel it is a moral rather than a medical issue and feel disgust and anger. As people have repeatedly pointed out, getting any NHS treatment for obesity - not just Mounjaro - is extremely difficult. There are two year waiting lists for specialist weight loss services and only a tiny percentage of the most seriously obese and unwell will be offered Mounjaro by the NHS, even though this is likely to improve their health and save the NHS money over time. There is no more connection between the restricted roll out of Mounjaro and anorexia services than there is between any other NHS services, such as stop smoking programmes, cancer treatments, dermatology and breast reconstruction services,

Edited

Didn’t say that. I do however think treatment for Anorexia and EDS should be a priority and not something that where funding is cut.

OP posts:
cardibach · 10/03/2025 16:47

@B00kThi3f you seem to be raising the anxiety levels of some posters who need anorexia provision for their children by saying funding is being cut. You haven’t yet acknowledged that that isn’t the case - there’s an above inflation increase in the funding. The funding may very well still be way too little, and the distributions. Post code lottery, and both those things are bad. But funding is categorically not being cut.
And obese people don't get much help either. You’ve been told repeatedly by people who have experienced the service that very few obese people get any help from the NHS at all.

Audhdmum · 10/03/2025 16:46

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:37

There’s not disgust towards the overweight there is however disgust at how the two different groups are treated on the NHS.

I’m certainly not the only poster who has noticed your prejudice against people with obesity. You seem to have decided that people made seriously ill by their weight don’t ‘deserve’ NHS treatment for their obesity. That indicates to me that you feel it is a moral rather than a medical issue and feel disgust and anger. As people have repeatedly pointed out, getting any NHS treatment for obesity - not just Mounjaro - is extremely difficult. There are two year waiting lists for specialist weight loss services and only a tiny percentage of the most seriously obese and unwell will be offered Mounjaro by the NHS, even though this is likely to improve their health and save the NHS money over time. There is no more connection between the restricted roll out of Mounjaro and anorexia services than there is between any other NHS services, such as stop smoking programmes, cancer treatments, dermatology and breast reconstruction services,

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:46

HowardTJMoon · 10/03/2025 16:40

You're disgusted that there's more money going to eating disorder treatments for children and young people then there is for weight loss medication for the entire adult population?

That’s a ridiculous thing to say. Obesity costs the NHS £11 billion a year.

SFA for Anorexia and Ed’s!

OP posts:
Katemax82 · 10/03/2025 16:43

As a mum of a daughter with an ED which the doctors aren't bothered about because she's a healthy weight i agree funding must not be cut!

FortyElephants · 10/03/2025 16:43

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:40

Nope did not say that.The overweight get a lot of help from a lot of departments. Anorexia and EDs get next to nothing and it’s not ok.

But they don't though. Why do you believe obese people get a lot of help?

MummytoE · 10/03/2025 16:41

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:40

Nope did not say that.The overweight get a lot of help from a lot of departments. Anorexia and EDs get next to nothing and it’s not ok.

Neither of these statements are true. You are too emotionally involved to think clearly on this

HowardTJMoon · 10/03/2025 16:40

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:37

There’s not disgust towards the overweight there is however disgust at how the two different groups are treated on the NHS.

You're disgusted that there's more money going to eating disorder treatments for children and young people then there is for weight loss medication for the entire adult population?

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:40

SilenceInside · 10/03/2025 16:39

@B00kThi3f because you think one group doesn't deserve any help at all, clearly.

Nope did not say that.The overweight get a lot of help from a lot of departments. Anorexia and EDs get next to nothing and it’s not ok.

OP posts:
RedHot2025 · 10/03/2025 16:39

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:37

There’s not disgust towards the overweight there is however disgust at how the two different groups are treated on the NHS.

The obese aren't treated kindly OP

SilenceInside · 10/03/2025 16:39

@B00kThi3f because you think one group doesn't deserve any help at all, clearly.

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 16:37

Porcuporpoise · 10/03/2025 14:13

God this.

There’s not disgust towards the overweight there is however disgust at how the two different groups are treated on the NHS.

OP posts:
Disturbia81 · 10/03/2025 16:27

@Moglet4 Yes I've replied to someone else saying that already, great news.

Disturbia81 · 10/03/2025 16:27

@LastHeraldMage I didn't say to remove them? I literally said they are great for obese people. I'm all for them in that respect.

MummytoE · 10/03/2025 15:33

Would you be so indignant about money going towards cancer patients,or heart disease or stroke patients? What about patients with mobility issues or needing hip/ knee replacements? Because obesity is a major contributing factor in all of these .Or do you think of obesity and anorexia as being two sides of one coin? That money going towards one has to have came from the others pot?

ChungkingExpress · 10/03/2025 15:29

Sinkintotheswamp · 10/03/2025 15:26

Yanbu.
But I guess eating disorders mostly affect young women and they don't matter. Bloody awful disease.

Really? She's not being unreasonable to wish there was more funding for eating disorders, but to blame it on a completely unrelated group of people (who will actually save the NHS money if they get weight loss medication) is very unreasonable.

Sinkintotheswamp · 10/03/2025 15:26

Yanbu.
But I guess eating disorders mostly affect young women and they don't matter. Bloody awful disease.

Beachmum23 · 10/03/2025 15:23

It is impossible to get weight loss drugs on NHS. I'm severely obese following binge eating order during an infertility journey. I have been told surgery which I don't want is my only option as the NHS cannot get hold of injections.

ChungkingExpress · 10/03/2025 15:15

RedHot2025 · 10/03/2025 15:12

I agree, I have 2 friends on WLJ, they both pay for their own.

Isn't it only the very obese with co morbidities that are able to obtain on the NHS?

Yes, I think it's only around 250,000 people who will be eligible initially, and around 28 percent of adults in England alone are obese, so it's really not very many people who can access weight loss injections on the NHS.

RedHot2025 · 10/03/2025 15:12

Somethingthecatdraggedin7 · 10/03/2025 14:58

I would also add that the vast majority are paying for their own weightloss jabs as it is practically impossible to get them on the nhs and not available at all no matter how long you wait or what other co-morbidities you have in many areas.

I agree, I have 2 friends on WLJ, they both pay for their own.

Isn't it only the very obese with co morbidities that are able to obtain on the NHS?

Moglet4 · 10/03/2025 15:01

Disturbia81 · 10/03/2025 10:16

@HowardTJMoon But people shouldn't be able to lie, there shouldn't be loopholes. They should have to do a video call or in person appointment. So yes they do just give them to anyone.

That has been changed now

Somethingthecatdraggedin7 · 10/03/2025 14:58

I would also add that the vast majority are paying for their own weightloss jabs as it is practically impossible to get them on the nhs and not available at all no matter how long you wait or what other co-morbidities you have in many areas.

RedHot2025 · 10/03/2025 14:37

B00kThi3f · 10/03/2025 08:36

It needs to be shared around not all put into one group of people.

The funding is not all put into one group of people, you are incorrect.

There is only so much money to go around in life and the NHS and so there tends to be support for funding that helps the most people. We will all have different views on where most money should be spent. It's just different opinions to yours.