Members' Business — S6M-02886 Emma Harper: Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2022

That the Parliament notes that Eating Disorders Awareness Week occurs on 28 February to 6 of March 2022 and this year focuses on the importance of Early Warning Signs in Primary Care; further notes reports that eating disorders affect 1 in 50 people across Scotland and the wider UK; understands that more people lose their lives due to eating disorders than any other mental health condition; further understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the number of persons with eating disorders, with a reported increase of 86% in referrals between 2019 and 2020; notes that the Beat eating disorders charity highlights that less than two hours of medical education leading to a medical degree is focused on eating disorder education; further notes calls from Beat for medical schools across Scotland, and the UK, and the General Medical Council, to ensure that eating disorder education is an important focus of medical degrees, including for those in General Practice training; welcomes the Scottish Government’s reported commitment of £120 million for a mental health recovery and renewal fund, with a focus on additional support for mental health in primary care settings and enhanced community support; notes the May 2021 publication of the Scottish Eating Disorder Services Review, which it understands makes 15 recommendations on how eating disorder support services can be improved; further notes the calls for the Scottish Government to provide an update on current work to implement the recommendations and better support all those impacted by an eating disorder, and thanks all eating disorders interest groups, including Beat and the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group (SEDIG), for their work to raise awareness and understanding of eating disorders, as well as to support those impacted by them.