Beat young ambassador Sophie Lowe, from Reepham.
Sophie is pictured at the unveiling of the Olympic Torch Route last year at Lands End. She went to represent the East of the country as Beat had a project that was affiliated with the Olympics (My Personal Best).
Beat’s Norfolk young ambassadors asked to appear on television
By KIM BRISCOE
Friday, February 17, 2012
8:26 AM
Two young ambassadors from Norfolk are to appear on national television to raise awareness and challenge the stigma attached to eating disorders.
Beat young ambassador Jamie Pye.Beat – the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, which is based in Norwich – has a group of young ambassadors across the country, who are all recovering or recovered and determined to help others by campaigning.
Among them are 19-year-old Jamie Pye, from Norwich, and 20-year-old Sophie Lowe, from Reepham, who will both be appearing on television programmes to promote Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
Jamie, a former Aylsham High School pupil, will be travelling to Manchester on Monday, the start of the awareness week, to be on ‘the sofa’ for BBC Children’s Newsround to talk about his experience and encourage others to speak out.
Sophie Lowe will be appearing on Channel 5’s Gabby Logan Show today, talking about the campaigning work she does on behalf of others.
Beat’s campaign message this year is ‘Break the Silence’.
A nationwide survey carried out by the charity with more than 1,000 responses found that 56pc of young people did not tell anyone about their eating disorder because they did not know how to talk about it.
A spokeswoman for the charity said: “We all need to break the silence about eating disorders so that sufferers come forward, loved ones can approach those they are concerned about, and everyone is aware of the illnesses.
“The more people can talk about eating disorders in an understanding way, the more those affected will feel they can reach out for support.”
Penny Baily, a founder-director of Norwich-based Newmarket House Clinic, in Newmarket Road, said she was concerned there was a growing trend within the NHS to treat people with moderate to severe eating disorders in community-based services instead of at specialist units.
As a result Newmarket House is now admitting patients with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 14, and she said she was worried that it was considered acceptable for people with a BMI of less than 15 to receive no more than perhaps a weekly one-hour appointment in an overstretched community service.
Mrs Baily said: “For this small group it is necessary to invest in effective treatment in dedicated units where specialist teams are expert in this field.”
Latest News
- Norwich driver caught over drink limit hours after ending binge
- Norwich cannabis grower fined £100 by magistrates
- Norwich-born businessman Matthew Newbury to appear on tonight’s Secret Millionaire programme
- Hollywood Bowl in Norwich holds free bowling sessions for residents of local care homes
- Queen Street bank robbery accused in Norwich Magistrates’ Court
Other News Articles
- Queen Street bank robbery accused in Norwich Magistrates’ Court
- Norwich driver caught over drink limit hours after ending binge
- Norwich cannabis grower fined £100 by magistrates
- Norwich-born businessman Matthew Newbury to appear on tonight’s Secret Millionaire programme
- Norwich Samaritans offered a listening ear to those in need 37,000 times in a year
- Charity dog show to return to Costessey, near Norwich
- Norwich man’s extra role in Les Miserables film starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe
- Thousands run Norwich’s Race for Life
- Norwich museums come alive at night
- Beaming Ella, eight, battles rare condition to enjoy her Norwich mod fundraiser
6 comments
Dancer- chances are that the pressures of living in the parts of the world that I describe are indescribably higher than western Europe. I've taken exams , watched TV , and read newspapers - I don't use these experiences as excuses for anything. I don't make fatuous personal insults either.
Report this comment
Dick Turnip
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Hugh - you are an utter idiot. Eating disorders have incredibly complex causes...from the pressure created by the relentless use of stick thin models in the media through to the need to being in control of a part of your life because of pressures such as exams. Chances are in those parts of the world where food is scare, they are not exposed to these images or have the complex pressures that todays youngsters have...hence eating disorders probably don't exist. Its ridiculous attitudes like yours that mean that people are either scared of getting help or that society treats such illness as a frivolous. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Report this comment
merrydancer
Friday, February 17, 2012
not really odd at all
Report this comment
Double Bill
Friday, February 17, 2012
I'm not entirely sure what is meant byt his comment Hugh Jarse (original!) - Maybe they are fortunate enough not to experience mental health difficulties but that does not mean they should be belittled in anyway.
Report this comment
Kat1985
Friday, February 17, 2012
It's odd isn't it , you never hear of "eating disorders" from the parts of the world where food is extremely scarce & where people are starving.
Report this comment
Dick Turnip
Friday, February 17, 2012
Much respect for the Aylsham High School Pupil (I also went there!!) Well done guys!! Eating Disorders are a complicated and difficult thing to deal with (from one who knows!) Herer's hoping that in the future there will be support for those who have normal BMI's but are still suffering and have to as one person said to me "just get on with it"
Report this comment
Kat1985
Friday, February 17, 2012