Charity offers help and hope for people with eating disorders in Milton Keynes

A charity is offering ‘non-judgemental and confidential’ help for people suffering from eating disorders in MK.

Tastelife is running an eight week course, starting next month on one night a week, for anyone with any kind of eating disorder or for whom food is a difficult issue.

The charity says help from the NHS is limited to the most severe cases and hospital admissions for those dangerously ill with anorexia and bulimia have doubled over the last three years.

Meanwhile, many overweight people are suffering from binge-eating disorder, which means they are addicted to food and in danger of diabetes, heart disease or stroke.

"There is such a lack of support for eating disorders in this area, especially affordable support,” said a Tastelife spokesman.

The course is also open to family and friends of people with eating disorders. It aims to help sufferers out of the “dark place” that such disorders can lead to and give them tools for recovery.

Running from June 6 in Bletchley, there will be eight weekly two hour sessions in the evenings. Anybody wishing to attend should email [email protected]

People do not have to have a medical diagnosis or a referral to attend.

"The course is for anyone with any kind of eating disorder or for whom food is a difficult issue. It is a non-judgemental, confidential safe and supportive place to learn strategies for support and recovery,” said the spokesman.

"We ask a donation of £5 a week or £45 for the course to cover the charity’s costs. However, if someone cannot manage this, we ask them to let us know. No-one will be excluded from the course for financial reasons,” she added.

The course is for anyone over 18. If someone is between 16 and 18 they can attend if accompanied by an adult.

Tastelife was formed by two mums who have both had daughters who had eating disorders. They say government sources suggest that four million people in the UK have eating disorders.

The team leading the Tastelife course are volunteers. They are not counsellors or medical professionals but all have experience of eating disorders and have been fully trained to run the course.