Beat is the UK's only nationwide organisation supporting people affected by eating disorders, their family members and friends, and campaigning on their behalf. We are also the world's largest eating disorders charity.

Our activities are designed to increase knowledge, awareness and understanding of eating disorders; to provide support, help and information to people directly affected; and to increase the understanding and skills of professional staff.

Beat's vision is simple: eating disorders will be beaten.

In recent years, Beat has continued to witness a significant step forward in both the breadth of our work, our activities and our influence. In 2010, our 21st anniversary, we reached more than 150,000 people and increased our income to over £1m for the first time. We also held our first major eating disorders conference attracting 400 delegates from 26 countries; we continued to win awards, including a British Red Cross Award for Young Ambassadors, and we began a 5 year research project, looking at treatments for adult sufferers of eating disorders.

Whilst in 2011 we created 30 new support groups, increasing the total to 80 across the UK, established our first Youth Council, and launched ‘Educate Too’, a unique education programme specifically to create strategies to boost self-esteem, build knowledge, raise awareness and ultimately prevent the development of eating disorders.

We have also extended our charitable remit to include providing support for people with obesity who could benefit from emotional support and psychological help.

2012 will continue to build on this momentum through increasing the range of services we provide by the harnessing of new technologies, our research into treatments for anorexia, the establishment of a kite mark for support services and the launch of a GP training programme across the UK and the promotion of ‘Educate Too’ resources in schools and colleges.