Eating Disorder Support App (UK)
Free digital self-care support for people affected by eating disorders and those who support them
The Eating Disorder Support App is a trusted, free self-care support app shared by organisations across health, education, local government, charity, and industry.
It gives people affected by eating disorders clear, evidence-informed guidance tailored to their needs - supporting safer self-care, earlier help-seeking, and a sense of not being alone.
By bringing calm, reliable information together in one place, the app helps people understand what's happening and find the right support at the right time - while also easing pressure on already stretched services.
The app can be localised by health and care providers to reflect local services, support, and pathways - while retaining consistent, trusted core guidance.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
Why this app exists
You want the best possible care for people affected by eating disorders - but early support isn’t always easy to access when demand is high and services are under pressure.
For individuals, families, and carers, it can be especially difficult when someone feels overwhelmed or unwell and doesn’t know where to start. At these moments, people are often unsure:
- what symptoms or behaviours might mean
- what is safe or helpful to do right now
- when and where to seek professional help
This kind of health confusion - often shaped by mixed messages, stigma, or unsafe online content - can delay help-seeking and increase risk.
For services, the impact is familiar: missed opportunities for early intervention, escalation while people wait for care, and growing pressure on specialist teams.
A calm, practical way to support people earlier
With the Eating Disorder Support App, you gain a simple, reliable way to reach people earlier - adding a mobile layer to how you already share trusted health information.
The app complements leaflets, websites, and face-to-face support by putting clear, reliable guidance directly into people’s hands - when they need it and wherever they are.
In practice, the app helps you to:
- support earlier intervention and safer self-care
- reduce confusion and harmful misinformation
- complement existing services, not replace them
If you want to go further, you can also localise the app to improve signposting and help people find local support, with your own home page and service directory.
Supporting people across the care pathway
Individuals with eating disorders don’t move through services in a straight line. Needs change over time - and support often needs to be available before, during, and after contact with services.
The Eating Disorder Support App can be useful at different points along this pathway, including:
- Early concerns or emerging distress - offering clear, trusted information and coping support when people are unsure what they’re feeling or what to do next.
- While waiting for support - providing safe, stigma-free guidance and reassurance during gaps, delays, or transitions between services.
- Alongside ongoing care - supporting people to manage difficult moments between appointments and reinforcing messages shared by professionals.
- Following a crisis or service contact - helping people feel less alone, understand next steps, and access appropriate ongoing support.
In each case, this app sits alongside existing services - offering clarity, reassurance, and a safe starting point, rather than replacing professional care.
Why mobile apps work
Support works best when it’s available at the moment it’s needed - without barriers.
Apps are simple, practical tools people already rely on every day. They offer information and support in ways that feel familiar, private, and easy to return to.
Once downloaded, the app:
- stays with people
- can be accessed privately, anytime and anywhere
- works offline — which can be crucial during periods of distress or low connectivity
It gives people one clear, trusted place to turn when something doesn’t feel right - in a place where they already feel at home.
Who the app is for - and who it isn’t
You can think of the app as a pocket guide with reliable information, designed for:
- People affected by eating disorders, including those worried about their own eating, weight, or relationship with food
- Families, carers, and supporters who want clear, trustworthy guidance
- Professionals and organisations looking to support earlier help-seeking and safer self-care at scale
The app is not a medical device and is not intended to:
- replace clinical assessment or treatment
- act as an emergency service
- store personal data or monitor individuals
Instead, it sits alongside existing services - offering clarity, reassurance, and a safe starting point.
How the Eating Disorder Support App works in practice
Inside the app, people will find clear, stigma-free content designed for real-world moments - including times of uncertainty, worry, or distress.
This includes support to help people:
- Understand eating disorders - clear explanations, myths addressed, risks explained
- Practise safer self-care - practical coping strategies and supportive tools
- Find moments of calm - grounding, relaxation, and gentle activities
- Access the right help - signposting to NHS pathways, charities, and specialist services
- Know when urgent help is needed - with clear guidance on next steps
Content is written in plain English and designed to be easy to return to - especially when concentration is low, or emotions are high.
Safe, private, and free to use
So you can share the app with confidence, it has been designed with safety and accessibility at its core:
- entirely free for users and organisations
- no contracts, no sign-up, and no set-up
- no personal data collection, tracking, or profiling
- no ads or in-app purchases
- compatible with standard smartphone accessibility features
People can use the app discreetly, in complete privacy - even when offline.
Proven quality and real-world impact
The Eating Disorder Support App is already supporting people across the UK.
- PIF TICK certified - the UK quality mark for trusted health information
- Co-produced with clinicians, charities, and people with lived experience
- Recognised and used by health, education, and community organisations
This is established, trusted support - ready to use at scale.
Trusted and quality-assured
You can be confident sharing the app because it meets recognised quality and safety standards:
- PIF TICK certified
- ORCHA assessed
- NHS DTAC compliant
Trusted by organisations across health, education, charity, and industry.
Developed with care and credibility
The app was developed collaboratively with the people and organisations closest to the issue.
From the outset, it was co-produced by Bristol Health Partners Eating Disorder Health Integration Team (EDHIT) and Expert Self Care, with input from:
- clinicians and eating disorder specialists
- specialist charities and sector partners
- people with lived experience and carers
Partners include Anorexia & Bulimia Care, First Steps ED, PANS PANDAS UK, and others.
This ensures the content is evidence-informed, clinically sound, and grounded in real-world needs - not just theory.
What others say
“It’s unique - a one-stop shop for so much support. Well presented and easily accessible.”
Eating Disorder Service User
“An excellent tool for spotting early signs and helping young people. So helpful to have everything in one place.”
Teacher
Understanding the value
The Eating Disorder Support App is a small, predictable investment of time and attention that can unlock meaningful value over time.
The examples below are illustrative only - designed to help organisations think about potential value in their own context, rather than guarantee specific savings.
The app can add value by helping organisations to:
- Reach more people, without needing to buy a digital product. Support large numbers of people without increasing staff workload - available 24/7, offline, and in people’s pockets.
- Support earlier action and clearer decisions. Clear, trusted self-care guidance helps people feel more confident managing issues earlier and knowing when to seek appropriate help.
- Reduce duplication and inefficiency. A single, trusted place for information can reduce reliance on printed materials, repeated explanations, and fragmented online content.
- Complement existing services. By sitting alongside current pathways, the app can reinforce key messages and help reduce avoidable escalation — without replacing professional care.
- Avoid the cost and risk of building something new. Organisations gain many of the benefits of an app without the time, cost, clinical risk, or ongoing maintenance required to develop and manage one themselves.
Ultimately, the value lies in making trusted support easier to find - earlier, and at the moments people need it most.
Designed to support sustainability
The Eating Disorder Support App supports sustainability in three important, practical ways:
- For people - helping individuals manage issues earlier, build confidence, and access the right support appropriately
- For budgets - supporting prevention, reducing avoidable escalation, and easing pressure on services
- For the planet - reducing reliance on printed materials, unnecessary appointments, and duplicated resources
It’s a small digital intervention that can make a meaningful difference over time.
Make the app locally relevant (optional)
If you want to go further, you can localise the Eating Disorder Support App to reflect your area or service.
Localisation allows you to:
- increase visibility with a branded home page
- clearly signpost local services, pathways, and support
- align messaging with your community and priorities
Helping people find the right support faster - in the place they already trust.
Opportunities to work in partnership
We work collaboratively with a wide range of organisations to maximise the reach, quality, and impact of our apps.
This can include partnerships focused on:
- Impact and delivery - working with public bodies, charities, and sector organisations to reach priority or underserved groups
- Funding and sustainability - supporting long-term access to free, trusted support through grants, sponsorship, or system-level funding
- Responsible commercial collaboration - working with industry partners where there is a clear public benefit and shared values
All partnerships are guided by our commitment to trust, independence, and public benefit.
If you’re interested in exploring a partnership around the Eating Disorder Support app, we’d be happy to talk.
The difference this app can make
When people affected by eating disorders have access to clear, trusted self-care support, they are more likely to:
- feel less alone and more confident during difficult moments
- manage issues earlier and more safely, using practical coping strategies
- know when and where to seek help, including how to access urgent support when needed
Giving people one trusted place for support can make everything feel lighter - for them, and for the teams supporting them.
Let's talk.
If you’d like to explore how the Eating Disorder Support App could support your community or organisation, we’d be glad to talk.