Guest blog post by Lisa Clarke, Liaison, Eating Disorder Community Support Home at Trellis

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have experienced increased mental health challenges. Within that, we have seen a huge surge in referrals to eating disorder programs and diagnoses of eating disorders globally. We know that eating disorders have been on the rise for many years before COVID-19, particularly in young people. Why the extra increase now? Well there are lots of possible reasons.

Our everyday routine habits of connecting, working, studying, playing and being in the world have had to shift and morph in some ways we could never have predicted. Financially, many families have been hit hard and continue to struggle with the economic fallout. The burden on our medical system is creating burnout among service providers; constant pressures from COVID case numbers threaten to overwhelm our capacity to respond to all kinds of emergencies, surgeries and other medical interventions. Children have not had the same opportunity to socialize, learn essential life skills or receive face to face support from their teachers and mentors. It seems that everyone has experienced some form of stress related to the pandemic. For some, this stress has come with trauma that makes it challenging to focus on being well and getting well.

We have seen a great deal of stress from other sources in 2020 and 2021. Studies show children are spending much more time online. These platforms tend to validate beliefs to keep consumers engaged, rather than provide balanced information and scientific facts. This can lead to skewed ideas about life, values, self-worth, body image and relationships. All of these factors can influence the development of an eating disorder.

In the past, extracurricular activities filled a lot of our time outside the home. With COVID restrictions, families are more isolated. This has likely led to more parental awareness of their children’s behaviors. Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and isolation, but without so many distractions and more meals at home, many parents can monitor their child’s eating habits more easily, detecting problems with noticeable weight loss and other behaviors. If there is one silver lining to COVID, it is that with the elevation of eating disorders, we are also becoming more aware of warning signs, learning more about where and how to get help, effective treatments, gaps in services, early intervention and prevention. We are also lessening the stigma of eating disorders and all mental health challenges, simply by the number of people who are impacted.

Having worked in mental health for over 30 years, I have noticed a shift in societal awareness of mental health concerns. Thirty years ago I worked as a community-hospital liaison. Resources for mental health were limited and many professionals were afraid to “treat” any mental health conditions in children or youth, especially eating disorders. Thankfully, that has changed over time. Though resources still never quite catch up with demand, at least we can now reduce some of the stigma and myths about mental illness and have conversation about how to best support those struggling with these serious medical conditions.

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions and can cause profoundly serious physical and emotional problems.

The warning signs of an eating disorder can include:

• irritability, depression and social withdrawal.

• excessive preoccupation with calories, food or "healthy eating".

• frequent negative comments about their weight and shape.

• restriction of food intake.

• making excuses to avoid eating.

• significant weight loss or weight gain (regardless of previous weight).

• compulsive exercising.

• frequently eating excessive amounts of food in a short period of time.

• consuming food alone, at night or secretly.

• using laxatives or diet pills.

• going to the bathroom immediately after eating.

If you suspect your child may be struggling with an eating disorder, talk to your family physician. They can help parents explore this further and refer you to mental health resources and other supports.

Together, we can all make a difference.