‘My friend died from an eating disorder – she was told she was too thin, then not thin enough’

Relatives of a woman who struggled with an eating disorder for more than a decade said she was repeatedly denied access to treatment before she died aged 26.

Charlotte Murphy, a veterinary nurse from Merseyside, had struggled with anorexia and bulimia since the age of 11 but was told she was “too skinny” or “not skinny enough” to qualify for support.

Although his health deteriorated and he was hospitalized for seizures and heart disease, he was not provided with a private bed.

Friends and family are now speaking out about what they believe is part of the systemic failure in care.

Lifelong friend Phoebe Campbell, 29, said: Independent: “There were always barriers to getting support. She was told she was too weak, then not weak enough, then not sick enough, then finally too sick to get treatment.”

Ms Campbell had no idea that her best friend had struggled with an eating disorder for most of her school years until Charlotte was diagnosed at the age of 17.

It is estimated that around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. Anorexia is an eating disorder in which people try to keep their weight as low as possible, while people with bulimia overeat to get rid of food and then make themselves sick.

In some cases, people are offered cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders, and others may be admitted to a hospital or clinic for treatment.

However, Charlotte was never admitted to an inpatient treatment unit for her eating disorder. Instead, his family paid for him to see a psychologist.

Throughout her twenties, Charlotte was becoming increasingly ill and developing more physical health complications.

Her mother, Lesley Murphy, said her daughter was diagnosed with an epileptic seizure caused by low potassium levels due to her restrictive diet.

“Every time she went to the hospital and I explained the eating disorder, they never seemed to connect the two,” Ms. Murphy said. Independent.

Even when he was seen by specialists at the Stein Center, a mental health facility, he was told they could not treat him further because of his weight. Charlotte died of natural causes later that year on August 22, 2023.

“It’s awful to think about but I think this could all have been prevented,” Ms Murphy said.

“He had a bright future ahead of him. Before he died, he left a note explaining that he wanted his story to be published to help those who shared the challenges he faced every day.”

But Charlotte’s story is far from unique, according to the Dump the Scales campaign, which is calling on the government to confront what they describe as a “fatal systemic failure” in eating disorder care.

A damning report published by the National Eating Disorders Audit in December 2025 found that some inpatient units and hospitals were excluding patients because their body mass index (BMI) was too low or too high.

“We need urgent action because if this continues more people will continue to fail and eventually die,” Ms Campbell said.

Hope Virgo, founder of Dump the Scales, also grew up with an eating disorder. When she relapsed, she had difficulty accessing NHS treatment due to her weight.

“I realized this was happening to millions of people,” he said Independent. “We need to stop people thinking of eating disorders as a weight-based disease and move away from this obsession with BMI.”

Vanessa Longley, chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat, explained that you can’t see an eating disorder.

“You can have a very serious eating disorder and still have no change in your physical shape, or you can have a larger body and still be at really high risk. The criteria that clinicians use often don’t recognize that,” he said. Independent.

“People are turned away and told they don’t qualify for treatment, and all that happens is people get sicker and sicker.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Charlotte’s family and friends. For too long, people with eating disorders have not received the support they deserve.”

“That’s why we’re working with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and improve patient outcomes and recovery.”

8,000 additional mental health workers have been hired since July 2024 as part of the 10-Year Health Plan.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our thoughts and condolences remain with Charlotte Murphy’s family and friends. However, for patient confidentiality reasons we cannot comment on matters relating to the care of an individual person.”

Eating disorder charity for anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article HitYou can reach the helpline 365 days a year at 0808 801 0677.

NCFED offers information, resources, and counseling to those suffering from eating disorders as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040.