A Scots woman has called for more training for medics to help sufferers of eating disorders after she was left to struggle with obsessive eating habits that controlled her life when a GP told her 'looked fine' during an appointment.
Jen Donnelly spent years recovering from a debilitating eating disorder and severe weight loss that began when she was 18.
The now 27-year-old had gone to her GP in Glasgow with concerns about her eating behaviours in 2013, her weight was checked and considered to be in the healthy range, so she was told she had nothing to worry about and sent home.
But, just six months later Jen needed emergency treatment by NHS specialists who intervened because she was so severely underweight.
She was forced to quit university and had a choose to become an impatient in hospital or move back home to live with her parents so she went back to the south of Scotland while being monitored.
Speaking during Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Jen told the Record: "I began to notice increasingly troubling behaviours in my approach to food, fuelled by online health trends and my desire to become more health-conscious after friends and family became ill.
"I'd moved away from home for the first time and I wanted to prove that I could look after myself, but I've always been a bit of a perfectionist.
"I started to lose weight and get some compliments but it became obsessive, and controlling food and exercise became a coping mechanism.
"I remember a friend was having a birthday party but I didn't go because I was worried there would be cake and would involve dinner.
"I knew something was wrong and went to the GP to explain my concerns and said I'd lost weight but not in the right way.
"He said I looked fine, was in the top health weight range and had nothing to worry about. Then he joked that he wished he had a little more willpower when it came to eating biscuits!
"He was trying to be friendly and doing his best, but I left the appointment feeling like I had overreacted and I must be fine.
"He has just looked at my physical appearance which was ok at that point, but didn't look at the mental health side of the eating disorder which was the problem."
Jen began to become isolated at university as strict eating habits she imposed on herself made it difficult to maintain a social life.
She eventually lost so much weight that she suffered from extreme fatigue and weakness and struggled to get through the day.
She continued: "Six months after the GP appointment my friends and family had to step in and call the NHS and I had emergency treatment.
"I chose to move back in with my family rather than stay in a hospital but I had bi-weekly appointment with dieticians and occupational therapists.
"Despite displaying disordered behaviours and thoughts, I felt I only received the NHS interventions when I was visibly severely underweight.
"I spent three years with NHS services before I was discharged.
"Then a year later I started to lose weight again.
"This time I recognised the behaviour and went to my general practice. The GP I saw was fantastic. She helped me access specialist services and monitored me herself.
"Treatment took another three years, it was a long time, but eating disorders become very ingrained.
"I worked on my mental health and recovered and now I'm happier and have a positive relationship with both food and my body."
Jen recently graduated in Glasgow, and has now started a Ph.D. in Dublin.
She is now an ambassador for the charity Beat.
Reflecting on her experience, she said: "I am in no way discounting the help GPs have provided in my recovery, as I think the work they do is incredible. However, I strongly want to support increased education in the area of eating disorders, especially in ending the stigma that you have to be an extremely thin female to be struggling.
"Medics only get two hours of teaching on eating disorders during the whole of their training, if they had more I would hope they would be able to see the tell tale signs for earlier intervention.
""My GP was supportive, but wasn't aware of the potential warning signs of an eating disorder that are unrelated to weight".
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "NHSGGC has a dedicated eating disorder service, which has recently introduced a range of new posts to improve pathways and education for patients.
"Our Eating Disorders GP links directly with GPs in the community to provide advice and support on eating disorders generally as well as advice in treating individual patients.
"For patients seeking support for an eating disorder via their GP, there are clear pathways in place for onward discussion or referral to eating disorder specialists.
"We would also encourage anyone who is looking for more information about eating disorders to visit www.nhsggc.org.uk for more information."
If you are worried about your own or someone else's health, you can contact Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk
