AEDS
Adult eating disorder services
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust offers both community and inpatient services for adults with eating disorders within Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.
The community teams are divided into two services, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adult Eating Disorder Service based at Addenbrooke’s hospital and Norfolk Community Eating Disorder team based at Meridian Business Park, Norwich.
The inpatient team consists of a 14-bed unit for individuals at S3, Addenbrooke’s hospital and offers care to individuals from the local area and further afield.
Everyone with an eating disorder deserves to recover. For those in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who do not meet the threshold for a moderate-severe eating disorder, NHS commissioned support is available from Personalised Eating Disorder Support (PEDS) to which you can self-refer.
What are eating disorders?
Our services provide care for individuals with a range of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) and binge eating disorder.
It is possible for individuals to present with some elements of these disorders but not all. The defining features of eating disorders that we treat are:
- A deviation from normal eating behaviour, for example severely restricting amount or type of food eaten or episodes of binge eating.
- Using other behaviours in an attempt to control weight, for example, self-induced vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics or excessive exercise.
- Problems with physical health and/or psychological functioning due to disturbed eating behaviours and/or other behaviours to control weight.
- Preoccupation and excessive concern with body shape, weight and eating.
Anorexia nervosa
Individuals with anorexia are unable to maintain a healthy body weight, leading to a weight which is at least 15% below what would be considered healthy for their height.
This low weight is reached through avoiding 'fattening' foods and/or restricting the quantity of foods that are eaten through restricted portion sizes and/or going long periods of time without eating. An individual with anorexia will often see themselves as fat and be extremely fearful of gaining weight.
Self-esteem is usually highly dependant on weight and body shape. Women can experience a loss of periods and both men and women experience a loss of interest in sex. Some people with anorexia may also binge eat and purge (self-induced vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics) or use excessive exercise to try and control their weight.
Bulimia nervosa
Individuals with bulimia binge eat regularly and use compensatory methods such as purging (self-induced vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics), excessive exercise or restricting their eating to prevent weight gain.
During binges people usually eat large amounts of high-calorie foods rapidly, and with some sense of loss of control over their eating. Binges are often triggered by mood states such as depression and anxiety, stress, hunger or food cravings, and feelings and thoughts related to body shape or weight.
Most people with bulimia make themselves sick after their binges and about a third use laxatives. Many people feel that their bulimia is shameful and they try to conceal it. Self-esteem is highly influenced by weight and body shape.
Binge eating disorder
Individuals with binge eating disorder binge eat regularly. During binges people usually eat large amounts of high calorie foods rapidly and whilst doing so have a sense of loss of control over their eating. This behaviour is often associated with feelings of shame, so binge eating usually occurs in secret. Individuals with binge eating disorder often have a long history of struggling with their weight and trying many diets in an attempt to lose weight.
OSFED
Other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) is an umbrella term for individuals with an eating disorder but whose symptoms do not exactly fit the eating disorders outlined above.
OSFED accounts for the largest number of eating disorder diagnoses and is a serious mental health condition. It can develop from and into other eating disorder diagnoses.
As a patient, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.