Through using her unique and very effective form of counselling Lynn has now established herself as one of the country’s leading private therapists, working with people from all walks of life. She is admired for her passion and understanding– something she attributes to the strength and loyalty of her family and friends, with whom she spends as much time as possible. Last month, Lynn published her first book ‘Hope With Eating Disorders, which has been a huge success from sales so far.

Lynn comments: “Eating Disorders can affect both genders of all ages, having spent considerable time researching the ‘Men Get Eating Disorders Too’ chapter in my book ‘Hope with Eating Disorders’. It made me realise how much work still needs to be done to challenge the stigma around eating disorders in men and boys for both the sufferer and their carers.

“In my new role as a trustee for the charity Men Get Eating Disorders Too, I am looking forward to working alongside a dedicated team of people to challenge this stigma, and to develop the charity further for the benefit of both the male sufferers and their carers.”

Lynn lives in Surrey with her husband Kevin and their twin-daughters.

Data from the NHS Information Centre has shown that the number of admissions for illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia has risen by 16% in the last year.

They are conditions often perceived as suffered by only women but it is now feared that more males are affected due to an increase of pressures they face. Despite more awareness there is sill stigma and shame associated with eating disorders among males.

Last year there were 228 hospital admissions for men and boys with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders, including 78 admissions for teenagers aged 14 or under and another 39 in the 15-18 age bracket. The number of admissions for men of all ages has risen from 160 in 2007/8 to 182 in 2008/9 to 196 in 2009/10.

Sam Thomas, MGEDT Founder and Project Leader, comments:  ”As the leading organisation on this issue, we are not surprised to know there has been a rise in the number of hospital admissions in males. The reason for this could be that more males are coming forward or that there is a genuine increase in the numbers affected.

It’s important to recognise that there is no singular cause to eating disorders and is in fact a combination of pressures – money worries, relationships, self-image concerns, peer pressure and identity build up over time and impact on the sufferer both mentally and emotionally, ultimately leading to the development of eating disorders.

“In the past decade it’s arguable that males may feel more pressure due to a growing trend focusing on the ‘ideal body image.’ Whilst negative body image alone is not responsible for causing eating disorders, it magnifies insecurities and reinforces low feelings of self-worth.

“Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition so it’s vital that sufferers seek treatment early on in their illness.”

There has been a lot of interest in the rise since The Sun newspaper broke the story exclusively on Tuesday. To read their article click here

Created by Mental Healthy founder Charlotte Fantelli, the Mental Health Hero awards celebrate the incredible achievements of those heroes making a real difference in the lives of those with mental illness.

Categories include ‘Community Hero’, ‘Professional Hero’, ‘Business Hero’ and ‘Creative Hero’ and amongst the winners are some incredible local, national and even global organisations and individuals.

Judges of the awards include some big names in the world of mental health including Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, Marjorie Wallace, CBE, founder and chief executive of SANE and Kath Lovell founder of Emergence.

Charlotte Fantelli of Mental Healthy said “The humbling work individuals and organisations are doing across the globe takes my breath away. Every single Mental Healthy Hero Award winner has done something extraordinary in an area that is not glitzy or glamorous and that takes great strength and human kindness.”

Sam Thomas, Founder and Project Leader of MGEDT, comments: “We are extremely proud to have won this award and is our first major award as an charity. This award is a credit to the Trustees and volunteers that we could not operate without.”

Nick Watts, Trustee, adds: “The award is brilliant news for the organisation, it just goes to show there is a real need for the campaigning the organisation is doing to raise the profile of male eating disorders in the wider community, as well as the outreach and online support we offer to sufferers and carers.”

Neil Holmes, Chairman, concludes: “We are really pleased to receive this award which is an important recognition of the work the charity is leading on.”

For information on the awards, visit: www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/mental-health-awards

Dear Ian,

We are delighted today to confirm your place on the Olympic Torch Relay. You have made it through the selection process, you have passed background and security checks, and you will have your moment to shine as a Torchbearer carrying the Olympic Flame!

OK, I’ll admit it – when I called my folks to tell them I struggled hopelessly to choke back the tears. “Pull yourself together man” I told myself. Problem was, I could hear Mum weeping on the other end of the phone! That really didn’t help.

Why does this this mean so much to me? Well, I guess it’s the realisation of dream, a dream that I thought would only ever be just that. Towards the middle of 2011 when the nomination process opened for torchbearers I was contacted by several different people to ask ifI was comfortable with them nominating me. ‘Me?’ ‘Wow – how humbling is that?

Briefly, for anyone who doesn’t know me, I suffered from anorexia for almost 25 years. The funny thing is, I was never actually sat down and diagnosed with anorexia. Back in the 1980’s, when I was 15 years old boys or men didn’t get eating disorders – did they? By the time I was in my late thirties I guess it was just accepted by the doctors that I had anorexia and so it really wasn’t discussed. As far as the general public was concerned the general consensus was that I either had cancer or Aids. After all, any man who has an eating disorder is gay – aren’t they?

Fortunately for me something remarkable happened in January 2008. I caught a chest infection which subsequently caused such concern that I was admitted to hospital, where I found out that I had pneumonia and a collapsed right lung. An outbreak of the Norovirus meant that I found myself in isolation. As I was hooked up for a blood transfusion I suddenly understood how alone and scared I felt. I really  I might never get the chance to tell my little niece and nephew and most especially my parents just how much I really loved them. Call it a light-bulb moment, call it a minor miracle, call it what you will, but in a very short space of time I had convinced myself that I was going to beat my illness. The same bloody-mindedness and determination that had stopped me eating properly for so long, even when I was hurting with hunger, was going to be my salvation.A promising athlete at school I had once won the Midlands 400metres.As a youngster I had harboured a dream to run the London marathon.Despite the intervening years the flame of ambition had never quite been extinguished and now, suddenly it was burning brighter than ever. Something bigger than anorexia was finally dominating my thoughts.So that’s where my life changed. After emerging from hospital very weak and with the lung capacity of a knackered dragon-fly I started following my dream. I signed up to run for Macmillan Cancer Support which was another massive step forward in the right direction. Not only did I have an ambition but now I also had a commitment. I just couldn’t and wouldn’t let these people down.

I actually missed the deadline for entry in to the 2009 London Marathon so my first 26.2 miler was actually in Paris. My first London Marathon followed in 2010 and then again in 2011. Each time my time improved (4hours 4minutes became 3hours 35minutes became 3hours13minutes). With each race I experienced feelings that I hadn’t done for decades. But somehow they were even sweeter now, even more exhilarating, even more exciting. What I had done….me……had made a difference to the lives of others. The £10,000+ that I had raised for Macmillan would help someone, somewhere.

Since 2008 my life has taken on new meaning. I have experienced incredible pride. I have reclaimed my self-esteem. I have earned the respect of others. I have enjoyed life.

But I’m still Ian Sockett. I’m still me. I didn’t undergo a head transplant. But I did recover. And for anyone reading this, whether you are currently suffering yourself or whether you are the friend,parent, carer or relative of a sufferer, you must understand that recovery – full recovery – is a reality. I’m living proof. I’m not saying that recovery is easy. Of course it’s not. You don’t change a25 year habit overnight. At times the journey feels impossible. I would like it to climbing the highest mountain in driving snow, with the summit almost invisible. But…………when you get to the top, well…….the view is just stunning.

On May 24th I will carry the Olympic torch through Hartpury, Gloucestershire. I will be running for everyone that has experienced an eating disorder, I will be running for my family and I will also be running for myself because running gave me back so much more than simply my fitness. It gave me back my life. I feel immensely privileged to be where I am now and I owe it to others to try an offer that inspiration which might just make a difference. More about the Olympics themselves next time….

Created by Mental Healthy founder Charlotte Fantelli, the Mental Health Hero awards celebrate the incredible achievements of those heroes making a real difference in the lives of those with mental illness.

Categories include ‘Community Hero’,  ‘Professional Hero’, ‘Business Hero’ and ‘Creative Hero’ and the shortlist highlights some incredible local, national and even global organisations and individuals. Shortlisted nominees include local organisations and carers, heroes in the field of academia and research, and the list even recognises corporates like Virgin and Lloyds TSB, and celebrities such as Tulisa Constantavlos, Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry.

Judges of the awards include some big names in the world of mental health including Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, Marjorie Wallace, CBE, founder and chief executive of SANE and Kath Lovell founder of Emergence.

The business awards, which recognise the achievements of businesses who champion mental health are judged by Andy Bell, Deputy CEO of The Centre for Mental Health and Mental Healthy’s very own co-founder and entrepreneur of the year Simon Dolan.

Charlotte Fantelli said “The humbling work individuals and organisations are doing across the globe takes my breath away. Every single shortlisted candidate has done something extraordinary in an area that is not glitzy or glamorous and that takes great strength and human kindness, every one of them is a hero that deserves recognition.”

Sam Thomas, MGEDT Founder and Project Leader, said: “We’re exceptionally pleased that we have been shortlisted in the Mental Healthy Awards.  This nomination is a credit to hard work of the volunteers and Trustees.”

The award winners will be announced April 2^nd 2012.

For information on the awards, visit: www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/mental-health-awards

For anyone who missed the programme or lives outside the region you can watch the report on the BBC Iplayer (12 minutes and 30 secs). To watch click here

Contributors to the report included John Evans, who is recovering from anorexia and recently self published his book ‘Becoming John: Anorexia’s Not Just For Girls’ and Jenny Langley, a mother of a son recovered from anorexia and wrote the book ‘Boys Get Anorexia Too’. Sam Thomas, Founder and Project Leader of MGEDT,  was also interviewed and openly spoke about his experience of bulimia and the work of the charity.

Liam Tarry who spoke to Sam  our online live chat service in the report comments on his blog:  “I credit this website (MGEDT) with saving my life, because without it I don’t think I would have found the courage to recognise my disorder and go and seek help. Run by Sam Thomas, who himself suffered from an eating disorder, it includes lots of helpful links and information about eating disorders and how to seek help.“

When I first logged on to MGEDT I was in a very very bad place. I remember reading Sam’s story and realising, “Hey, I have an eating disorder. I am not ashamed to admit it. I need to find help now, because I am not alone.”

MGEDT’s petition to improve service provision for men with eating disorders was recently reported on the BBC news website.

Sam Thomas, MGEDT Founder and Project Leader, speaks to Inside Out about the work of the charity

As a recovered anorexic, I wasted almost 25 years of my life, simply ‘existing’ but realistically balancing precariously on the cusp of life and death. It took pneumonia and a collapsed lung to scare me into the reality that life was incredibly precious and that mine was slipping away. Knowledge and understanding of eating disorders back then were limited and male sufferers weren’t affected – were they? Of course they were and they still continue to be, yet whilst our knowledge of eating disorders has improved greatly, I regret that diagnosis and treatment haven’t made the same advances. We spend money at the very advanced stage, trying to prevent individuals from dying but we avoid the Early Intervention strategies that could prevent so many of these problems reaching crisis point. Successful recovery not only improves the lives of individuals, it releases talent and potential to the economy and country as a whole.

Since recovery 4 years ago I have run three marathons, raised over £10,000 for charity and successfully engaged in working with youngsters, including young offenders – besides the day job. Those who suffer from an eating disorder aren’t delinquent, are not psychopaths, are not dis-functional. The majority are intelligent, loving, giving human beings – in fact they are in reality very much like anyone else.

As human beings we all strive for the nivarna of being ‘normal’ – something that is so ill-defined that it doesn’t exist. Yet that doesn’t stop us chasing the ideal, through diet, exercise and sometimes damaging substances.

Men (and this won’t come as a shock to any guy) aren’t that different to women. We too feel emotion, elation, worry and pain. We too get nervous, feel inadequate and worry about our future and that of loved ones. Why is it so difficult therefore to comprehend that we too are likely to suffer the same mental illnesses? (because that’s what an eating disorder really is). Men need to be treated with dignity and respect for admitting that there’s a problem but, society is still confused by the man who doesn’t bury his problems and ‘move on’.

The sooner men receive the understanding and support that should be mandated the sooner we can release their potential talents and contributions to society.

To read the article published on the BBC News Online click here and to sign our petition click here

The petition aims to address the barriers men with eating disorders are faced when approaching help at the point of access and in treatment services. MGEDT is calling on the government to make key changes in policy and delivery levels so male sufferers are able to seek the support they need. If enough people sign the petition, it will be eligible to have the issue debated in parliament.

Sam Thomas, MGEDT Founder and Project Leader, comments: “There is a still a great deal of stigma attached to eating disorders and the stereotypical assumptions often made about eating disorders can make it all the more difficult for male sufferers to seek help.

“It’s important to remember that eating disorders are indiscriminate and can affect anyone, irrespective of their age, social background, race, sexual orientation and indeed gender.  Only with increased awareness and understanding of eating disorders in men will the barriers be eradicated. Ultimately, we want to see services that are inclusive to the needs of all.”

To view the petition and to sign go to:http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/26689

Please also share the link on your blogs and social networking pages asking people to sign.

The producer of the program is looking to feature 1 or 2 male case studies as a part of this, who themselves have struggled or faced delayed treatment as a result of gender assumptions made about the conditions.

Ideally, the case studies need to be from the London, Sussex, Kent or Surrey areas due to the programming area of the production.

There is a tight schedule for production, with the producer looking to meet with case studies from next week with filming following very shortly after, with an on air date of the 30^th January.

If you think you may be able to help by providing your story or have any questions regarding the project please email sam@mengetedstoo.co.uk.

This research follows the airing of the ITV program “Dying to be thin” (04/01/2012) which typically portrayed eating disorders as conditions which solely affect women, with the whole show featuring only teenage girls suffering from Anorexia. Current research shows that up to 20% of all eating disorder cases are male, yet men struggle to find the right resources to seek help.

The issue is bigger than just eating disorders however, with this new research showing 80.7% of men engaging in often negative conversations about their body and a staggering 96% saying they felt exposed to idealised images in the media and within advertising. A record 58.6% of those men are concerned and affected by what they hear, leading to high levels of body dissatisfaction which this research shows drives men to compulsively exercise and maintain unhealthy eating habits.

Nick Watts, a trustee of MGEDT who regularly writes on the subject of body image in men says: “We have always known that body image was an issue that affects men yet it has been largely ignored due to the stereotypical assumption that body image is only an issue in women. The research and yesterday’s airing of dying to be thin just goes to prove that further awareness is needed to combat the dangerous assumption that body issues are a single gender issue. Ignoring these issues will only lead to a rise in the level of body dissatisfaction seen in men and in turn a further risk of physical and mental health complications arising as a direct result of low self-esteem and body confidence. Having suffered from similar issues myself and now working with these issues I know first-hand the serious effects something as commonplace as body dissatisfaction can have.”

MGEDT wishes to see more awareness and action taken in addressing the issue of body image in men and urge’s men worried about these issues to visit our website www.mengetedstoo.co.uk.