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Blog posted by: Martin Riley, 28 February 2022 – Categories: A Modern Civil Service, A Skilled Civil Service, An Innovative Civil Service, Uncategorized.

Whilst anorexia and bulimia are commonly known eating disorders, many others are equally as serious

Eating Disorders Awareness Week (28 February - 6 March) helps fight misunderstandings over anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other eating disorders. It also highlights the importance of receiving professional help early. Below, Martin Riley shares his experiences.

I can’t pinpoint when it started – it just seemed to creep up in my early twenties. Comments about my weight and height crept into my head and I started to see my body in a different way from reality. My wife Lindsay recognised something wasn’t quite right more than 15 years ago, and persuaded me to see my doctor.

I was diagnosed with bulimia, but my doctor’s response was that I looked healthy, so I was fine. In my head I convinced myself that nothing was wrong, and I could just carry on. I hope that today, any doctor wouldn’t dismiss me as easily.

It’s taken me years to accept that I have an eating disorder. I thought that not eating during the day, then bingeing after work was a character flaw rather than an actual illness. I blamed myself for being unable to control how much I ate, and to a degree, I still do. It makes me feel guilty and ashamed.

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