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	The majority of people who made calls to Bodywhys, the eating disorders association of Ireland, in 2015 were aged 36 and over.</p>
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	Furthermore, 46% of callers to the association reported living with their eating disorder for 10 years or more.</p>
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	Overall, Bodywhys recorded a 10% increase in people using their support services and, with the advent of technology, saw a 48% rise in people reaching out for support via email.</p>
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	The figures are revealed in the association&rsquo;s 2015 annual report, published yesterday.</p>
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	&ldquo;I think people are more confident to speak out. It&rsquo;s also easier to access information nowadays and you see that with our email support service,&rdquo; said Harriet Parsons, psychotherapist and services manager for Bodywhys.</p>
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	She said the report shows eating disorders do not discriminate on grounds of age.</p>
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	&ldquo;In 2015, there has been a 9% increase in people aged 36-55 and an 8% increase in people aged over 56 years of age,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This means that the majority of calls taken in 2015 concerned someone aged over 36 years old.</p>
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	&ldquo;This is yet more evidence to challenge the myth that an eating disorder is a &lsquo;teenage issue&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>
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	Ms Parsons said she does not think the rise in age is simply due to the fact it took longer for certain people to seek help.</p>
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	&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t rule out that it is people who are developing an eating disorder at that age,&rdquo; Ms Parsons told the Irish Examiner.</p>
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	In terms of the gender profile of who sought support from Bodywhys, the psychotherapist said the figures do not reflect a real breakdown.</p>
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	&ldquo;In terms of males and females, around 10% of people with eating disorders who contact us are male and that&rsquo;s consistent but people reckon it&rsquo;s around 25% and with binge eating disorder it&rsquo;s around 50/50 [between males and females],&rdquo; said Ms Parsons.</p>
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	She added that binge eating disorder is one of the most prevalent eating disorders in society but people are less likely to seek help for it.</p>
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	&ldquo;With binge eating disorder, there&rsquo;s an issue around acceptance of it as an actual eating disorder,&rdquo; said Ms Parsons. &ldquo;This is despite the fact that it has its own category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.</p>
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	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s often approached from a diet and exercise point of view but you would never take this approach with anorexia. People with binge eating disorder get caught up in the diet culture.</p>
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	&ldquo;Obesity in itself is a health issue. A portion of people who fall into the obese category of weight actually have a binge eating disorder and are already trapped in a cycle where a diet is a trigger, and dieting is part of that binge eating cycle.&rdquo;</p>
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	www.bodywhys.ie or 1800 902 406.</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Examiner on the 9th August 2016)</p>
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	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/majority-of-callers-to-bodywhys-were-aged-36-and-over-414816.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/majority-of-callers-to-bodywhys-were-aged-36-and-over-414816.html</a></p>
