A NEW treatment centre specifically for young adults with eating disorders is set to open in Oxfordshire.

Private addiction rehab firm UK Addiction Treatment Centres (UKAT)will open a new facility in Banbury next month.

The organisation said it has, in the last year alone, witnessed a 30 per cent rise in enquiries for under 25s requesting rehab treatment for eating disorders, with almost half of those being from under 18s.

It warned that, although treatment for children and young people should start within a maximum of four weeks from first contact, NHS statistics show sufferers are having the wait more than double this recommended time.

The Banbury-based rehab centre, Banbury Lodge, is the first that will focus on providing the rehabilitation treatment programmes and therapy needed to treat eating disorders in young adults.

It will feature 23 en suite bedrooms and a treatment programme individually tailored to help support those who suffer with an eating disorder.

Following the initial enquiry, patients can typically be in treatment within one week.

Eytan Alexander, Founder of UKAT, said: “Eating disorders can kill, and timing is everything.

“As soon as the sufferer believes they have a problem, it is imperative that action is taken as quickly as possible in order to help them.

“Our enquiries are telling us that they can’t get the help and support they need to tackle their disorder quickly enough, and that for some, this means that they are forced to continue with their disorder.

“What Banbury Lodge will provide is not only the medically qualified treatment in order to tackle the disorder itself, but full therapy and support to ensure that the root cause of the addiction is addressed in order to ensure true and full recovery.”

For more information on the new centre and how to access treatment for eating disorders, visit www.ukat.co.uk