Eating disorder patients could qualify for assisted suicide, experts warn

Experts have raised concerns that thousands of eating disorder patients, predominantly women, could qualify for assisted suicide under Kim Leadbeater’s Bill.

Critics argue the bill’s “vague wording” may include conditions like anorexia and bulimia as terminal illnesses.

The bill, set for a vote this month, would allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to seek medical help to end their lives. Campaigners fear it could lead to vulnerable patients with severe malnutrition being deemed eligible.

Chelsea Roff, founder of Eat Breathe Thrive, stated: “This law would do the opposite of helping. Patients with eating disorders already struggle to access adequate care, and this bill risks allowing NHS-supported suicides.”

Roff cited international data showing cases where women with eating disorders were granted assisted suicide, suggesting the true scale of such cases remains unknown.

NHS statistics reveal that 97% of hospitalised eating disorder patients are women. In 2023-24, there were 26,000 adult admissions, with over half involving life-threatening malnutrition.

Without medical intervention like nutrition drips, experts warn such patients could be classified as terminally ill under the bill.

Psychiatrist Dr Ali Ibrahim called the bill “not evidence-based,” arguing that eating disorders are treatable conditions.

“There is no psychiatric condition that can be called terminal,” he said, warning of “avoidable deaths” if the legislation passes.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, has denied that eating disorders alone would qualify. But is it the physical consequences of the eating disorder – such as anorexia or bulimia – that campaigners believe would qualify an individual for an assisted suicide.