EastEnders' Ben Mitchell sparks concern in bulimia storyline
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The following article contains extended discussion about eating disorders.
EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders character Ben Mitchell's struggles with an eating disorder will spark concern in upcoming scenes.
In episodes that will air from next week, viewers will continue to see Ben struggling with bulimia nervosa.
The condition sees the person go through periods where they eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time and then make themselves sick to try to stop themselves from gaining weight.
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Over the course of the last few months, Ben has battled with his bulimia in secret and has been worried about people finding out.
With Ben unable to hide his loss of appetite, Callum and Jay make remarks about it – both totally unaware of his ongoing struggle with the eating disorder.
Later, Honey – who had her own struggles with an eating disorder – quickly picks up on the signs, noticing Ben's discomfort around food.
To ensure that Ben's story will reflect those that many men face in silence, the EastEnders team have been working with the advocacy group Beat.
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Producer Chris Clenshaw said: "It was vital for us to work alongside Beat to accurately present, and sensitively portray Ben's bulimia storyline.
"Max [Bowden]'s performance has thoughtfully portrayed the isolating reality of an eating disorder with compassion and understanding as we explore how the traumatic events of Ben's past have affected his mental health."
The storyline comes at a time when as many as one in four people who have eating disorders are men.
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage.
Beat is a charity which raises awareness and understanding of eating disorders, and supports those affected by them. It has a one-to-one secure messaging service, and details of its phone helplines can be found here.
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