Eating Disorders and Assisted Death

Help us advocate for action to protect people with eating disorders.

A report titled 'The Dangers of Assisted Dying to People with Eating Disorders,' featuring a cover image of two people shaking hands, one with painted nails, and a red label indicating a 10-minute read.

What Happened?

A recent study has revealed a heartbreaking reality: at least sixty people with eating disorders have been assisted in suicide in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. Alarmingly, a third of cases analyzed in the study involved young women in their teens and twenties, some of whom had not received comprehensive treatment.

What Are We Doing About It?

On July 31, we released a joint statement with over 300 leading experts and organizations, calling on governments to act to ensure eating disorders are not a qualifying condition for assisted suicide. Our message is clear: Eating disorders are treatable, not terminal. People with eating disorders need treatment, not lethal medications.

View the Joint Statement

Here’s how to get involved

  • Someone wearing a grey striped sweater writing with a blue pen on printed papers on a wooden table, with a white mug and a notebook nearby

    Read the Study

    Explore the study that uncovered the alarming cases of assisted suicide for individuals with eating disorders

  • Close-up of a white computer keyboard with black letters, showing the keys 5, 6, 7, Y, H, G, and surrounding keys.

    View the Press Release

    Read the official press release explaining the results of the study and our campaign to call for urgent action.

  • Person in a reddish-orange shirt signing documents on a dark wooden table, with additional papers and white flowers on the side.

    Sign the Statement

    Add your voice to our growing list of supporters and advocate for action to protect people with eating disorders.

Reports, open letters, and joint statements

  • Assisted Death & Eating Disorders: Visual Report

    This report highlights the dangers of physician-assisted suicide to people with eating disorders. It explores how a practice intended for terminally ill patients has been misapplied to treatable mental health conditions.

    Read the Report

  • Open Letter from Eating Disorder Charities to Parliament

    We have joined leading charities, clinicians, and advocates in writing to Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK to express serious concerns about the risk assisted dying could pose to people with eating disorders.

    Read the Letter

  • Joint Statement Against Assisted Death in Eating Disorders

    300+ leading experts and organizations have issued a joint statement calling on governments to act now to prevent assisted suicide in eating disorders.

    View the Joint Statement

  • Joint Letter to the Editor, BMJ

    As the UK Parliament prepares to debate assisted dying, its impact on those with mental health conditions, particularly eating disorders, must be urgently considered.

    Read the Letter

Podcast: Assisted Death & Women

Tune in to the conversation