Why is early intervention so important?

Disordered eating – a term used to describe eating difficulties that don’t require a clinical diagnosis – is becoming more common and can often be the first signs of someone developing an eating disorder.

The NHS is treating record numbers of young people for eating disorders, so the need to intervene before diagnosis has become a matter of urgency.

As ELFT clinician, Erica, says: 

“A better eating disorders’ prognosis is linked to a shorter duration between onset of illness and start of treatment. Early intervention is therefore important to allow targeted support at a time when symptoms are more malleable and less entrenched, at times preventing the deterioration of the symptoms to developing into a full-blown eating disorder.”