The pandemic has triggered an increase in depression, anxiety, and stress. Several help services and rehabilitation centers have recently reported that these factors have caused a growing number of people calling for help about eating disorders, especially during quarantine and isolation.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in the United States, there was about a 78 percent increase in people contacting their hotline between March and April. Dietitian Decky Mehr from The Renfrew Center, who had also received an increased amount of calls during the pandemic, explained that typically, "eating disorders thrive in isolation and during times of induced stress."
These eating disorders can be life-threatening and cause severe damage to organs, disrupt bodily functions due to dehydration, and even result in diseases. Psychologically, it can result in bipolar disorder, self-harm, suicide, and personality disorders.
Types of Eating Disorders
Nearly 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder, which can range from food deprivation to binge-eating. One of the most common eating disorders is a psychological condition called anorexia nervosa, where people have a fear of gaining weight and believe that they have a distorted body image.
The first type of anorexia is when someone will binge and purge. They may binge-eat due to hunger, then purge by vomiting or taking an excessive amount of laxatives, or burn too many calories with exercise.
The second type is restrictive anorexia, which may be mistaken for as a highly disciplined diet. These people would consume fewer calories than the recommended daily amount and avoid all fat and sugar, which results in starvation.
Another eating disorder is bulimia, where people will binge-eat food then purge the calories in an unhealthy way. Purging may come in the form of vomiting, weight-loss supplements, excessive laxatives, and other methods.
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Pandemic Triggers
Mehr said that eating disorders are not about food consumption, but emotions that lead to behavior that can either numb or decrease the physical sensations of uncomfortable emotions. Disordered eating behavior, said CEO Claire Mysko of NEDA, is a coping mechanism.
Another disorder is binge-eating without purging. Overeating can result in obesity and other serious health issues like cardiovascular problems, fatty liver, and others.
Although eating disorders have been more commonly found in men, about 30 percent of eating disorder patients are men. Patients range from middle-aged individuals, and alarmingly, young teenagers.
Mysko agreed with Mehr that eating disorders grow during isolation. Public health and safety guidelines such as physical distancing and self-isolation are the opposite of what patients learn during recovery, which is about connection and connecting with others, says Mysko.
One other trigger of eating disorders is the fear of not being able to get enough food or certain types of food. During the first few weeks of the pandemic, people resorted to panic-buying, which can cause anxiety for those with eating disorders and are 'ritualistic around their food,' said dietician and psychotherapist Alison Pelz. "Now, people are anxious and at home with lots of food, and that can be problematic for someone with an eating disorder," she said.
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