An online therapy programme can be used to help people aged 16
and over with eating disorders whilst they wait for specialist
NHS treatment, NICE has said.
The programme called Overcoming Bulimia Online can be offered to
NHS patients while further evidence is generated over the next
two years on its clinical and cost effectiveness.
Accessed via the internet, the online self-help programme is for
people who binge eat, particularly those with bulimia nervosa,
binge eating disorder, and similar eating problems. It's designed
for people aged 16 and over to use by themselves at their own
pace over 8 sessions.
People must initially receive an eating disorder assessment by
their GP, or after further assessment by specialist eating
disorder services to be offered access. It can be used by people
waiting to be seen by a specialist, but alongside usual waiting
list care such as regular check-ups and routine physical
monitoring with their GP or eating disorder service.
Unguided self-help is not intended for people with severe eating
disorders or at a high medical risk. Self-help is not suitable
for people with any form of anorexia nervosa.
The online programme helps people learn to manage their eating
disorder using eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT-ED).
Research has shown that people using Overcoming Bulimia Online
experienced fewer binge eating episodes and had reduced eating
disorder symptom severity compared to those on waiting lists.
The programme costs £5.91 per person when 500 or more licences
are purchased.
At least 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.
These are serious mental health problems where people use food to
cope with difficult feelings and situations. Many people must
wait a long time to see a specialist, which can make their
condition worse. Recent analysis has shown that some adults with
eating disorders wait up to 700 days for care from community
teams.
Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, HealthTech programme director at
NICE, said: "This recommendation is really
important for eating disorder care at a time when services are
under huge pressure. Overcoming Bulimia Online gives people with
eating disorders immediate access to proven therapy that can
start working straight away, rather than waiting months for
specialist treatment.
“The research shows real benefits for patients, with reduced
binge eating episodes and less severe symptoms. What's
particularly encouraging is that this digital therapy can work
alongside existing NHS care, providing extra support without
needing more healthcare staff.
“We're confident this technology will make a real difference to
thousands of people struggling with eating disorders whilst we
continue to build specialist services across the country."
Dr Adrian James, national medical director for Mental
Health and Neurodiversity, said: “We welcome NICE's
recommendation which opens up access to proven digital support
for people with eating disorders while they wait for specialist
treatment. This complements NHS care, giving people support
sooner and at their own pace – and builds on our updated
guidance to identify and help children and young people with
eating disorders earlier.”
Umairah Malik, Beat's clinical and co-production manager,
said: “Anyone affected by an eating disorder should be
able to access timely, tailored support, but we know that wait
times can still vary wildly between age groups and locations.
Digital treatment can help to address some of these gaps,
allowing more people to access support on a waiting list, whilst
still benefiting from regular check-ins and routine monitoring.
“We're pleased to see NICE's conditional recommendation for the
Overcoming Bulimia Online programme so that those who need it
most can get the help they deserve more quickly. Alongside this,
it's crucial that part of the evidence generation process for
this programme over the coming years, and others more broadly,
consider underserved groups in eating disorders so that they work
for all communities.”
The programme works particularly well for people with less severe
eating disorders who might otherwise wait longer for treatment,
and people who live in areas where there are fewer specialist
eating disorder services.
Two other digital programmes called Digital CBTe and Worth
Warrior need more research before they can be recommended for NHS
funding. However, they may be available through research studies.
NICE's independent Diagnostics Advisory Committee highlighted
that more work is needed to make sure these digital programmes
work well for all communities. Most people in the research
studies were white women, so more diverse groups need to be
included in future research.
ENDS
About the guidance
- The final guidance will be available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/htg768
from Thursday 22 January 2026.
- NICE HealthTech guidance applies to England and Wales.
