16 July 2026: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Photos available via Conor McCabe photography – info@conormccabe.ie)

Published by Bodywhys – The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, the report shows that 6,696 people accessed Bodywhys support services in 2025 through its helpline, support email service, online support groups, family support services and structured support programmes.

Over the past three decades, Bodywhys has supported more than 80,000 people through its support and information services. More than half of those individuals have been supported in the past ten years alone, highlighting the sustained increase in demand for eating disorder support in Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler TD said:  ‘’The work of Bodywhys has become an essential part of Ireland’s response to eating disorders, providing support, information and hope to thousands of individuals and families every year. As this report demonstrates, demand for these services continues to grow, particularly among young people and their families.

I want to acknowledge the commitment of Bodywhys over the past 30 years and the vital role the organisation continues to play in supporting recovery, raising awareness and promoting early intervention. The organisation’s partnership with the HSE National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders is a strong example of how the meaningful inclusion of lived experience and the patient voice can improve services and respond to people’s real needs’’

During 2025, Bodywhys received 2,612 helpline calls and 1,815 support emails, while 807 people attended online chat and video-based support groups. A further 1,198 family members and supporters accessed the organisation’s Family Support Package.

The report highlights growing demand across all services, particularly among young people and families, alongside continued need among adults living with eating disorders and those supporting a loved one. Where data was available, contacts to the helpline and email service were broadly split between individuals seeking support for themselves and those supporting someone with an eating disorder.

Supporting under-18s

Demand for youth-focused support continued to increase in 2025. Attendance at YouthConnect, Bodywhys’ online support group for young people aged 13–18, rose by 44% during the year.

Forty-three percent of helpline calls related to someone under the age of 18, while more than half of support emails concerned children and young people aged between 10 and 18 years. In addition, 85% of those attending the PiLaR Family Support Programme were supporting a young person under 18.

Supporting adults with eating disorders

Bodywhys continued to provide support for adults of all ages affected by eating disorders. In 2025, 57% of helpline calls related to an adult, with one quarter concerning someone aged over 36. Nearly half of all support emails related to adults, while 671 adults were supported directly through online support groups and structured support programmes.

The report also notes the launch of ReConnect, a newly developed structured programme for adults focused on social recovery, which is expected to provide ongoing, meaningful support in the years ahead.

Supporting families

In 2025, 1,198 families were supported through the Bodywhys Family Support Package, with 729 people attending the PiLaR peer-led resilience programme and 469 engaging with follow-on support services.

Nearly 60% of PiLaR participants were supporting someone in the early stages of an eating disorder (less than one year). Up to 85% reported that their own mental health had been affected by caring for a loved one, while 65% said they felt more confident in supporting them following the programme.

Education and prevention

Bodywhys continued its investment in early intervention and prevention. During 2025, its evidence-informed wellbeing programmes reached 34,826 primary and post-primary students, while 13,910 young people participated in school talks, workshops and youth events.

A key milestone during the year was the launch of the Inside Out programme, a secondary school initiative promoting positive body image, wellbeing and resilience.

Professional training and wider demand

Alongside direct services, Bodywhys delivered eating disorder therapeutic support training to 1,056 clinicians and allied health professionals during 2025, strengthening understanding and support for eating disorders across healthcare and community settings.

Separate figures from the HSE National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders also show increased demand for specialist services, with 915 referrals and 465 people commencing treatment in 2025, a 13% increase on the previous year.

Commenting on the report Bodywhys CEO Harriet Parsons said “As we mark 30 years of Bodywhys, we reflect on the support that thousands of people, families and professionals have accessed through our services over the past three decades. The increasing demand for our services underscores the importance of accessible and consistent support.

We are encouraged to see more people reaching out for help at an earlier stage and increased engagement across our youth, family and professional education programmes.

Bodywhys remains committed to ensuring that anyone affected by an eating disorder can access support, information and understanding whenever they need it. Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen early intervention pathways, expand our digital support services and improve access for individuals and families affected by eating disorders.”

People can and do recover from eating disorders.