This week, the UK’s Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) warned eating disorders were on the rise among children and adolescents. This was based on a survey of forty pediatricians and child specialists in England. The number of their patients have tripled or quadrupled this year. Waiting lists are long and beds for patients in severe shortage. Children with eating disorders are appearing in advanced stages of illness. They have missed interaction with friends, teachers and doctors, any of whom may have noticed and pointed out the visible change earlier.
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The three key eating disorders are binge eating
(eating too fast, too much, eating when not hungry), anorexia (fear of
gaining weight, starving oneself to remain slim) and bulimia (binge
eating followed by vomiting it out – some professional ballerinas are victims
of bulimia).
Social media has aggravated the crisis by glorifying thinness
and fitness. Forgetting that genetics also contribute to the size and shape of
our bodies, many young girls fall victim to body comparison. Young boys, on the
other hand, may get obsessed with a muscle-oriented body image or a six-pack abdomen.
Modern teenagers know ratios like BMI (body mass index), and have weighing
machines and apps to monitor them.
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Pandemic and lockdowns have made matters worse. Eating
disorders are now considered a crisis in child mental health. Children are
isolated with school closures, exams are postponed, sport activities cancelled,
physical exercise is curtailed and replaced by increased screen time and social
media. There was also an extensive media coverage further focusing on BMI and
how overweight people are vulnerable to Covid-19.
UK pediatricians have identified two patient profiles
in the pandemic time. One is the high achieving, ambitious, truly driven young
girls. They had meticulously planned their future which is now in danger or
shattered. The second type is those with personality disorders and problems
with controlling their emotions.
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What symptoms should parents look out for? (a) Child eating very fast (b) cutting food
into small pieces (c) going to the bathroom or shower immediately after meals
(d) hiding how much was eaten (e) significant weight loss or gain (f) avoiding
meals with others (g) sudden change in diet (h) obsessive exercise (i) refusing
to eat food previously enjoyed (j) use of negative comments about their bodies
or other people’s bodies (k) wearing larger clothing (l) avoiding social
situations (m) excessive fear of going out (n) skipping meals. (o) calorie counter
apps on phones.
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Studies in the UK, USA and Netherlands suggest this
crisis is widespread.
In the USA, 9% of population (29 million) suffers from
eating disorders. NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) reported that in
November, 72% more people were seeking help through online chats, as compared
to previous years.
In Canada, some Olympic and Paralympic athletes became
new victims of eating disorders. They had a set exercise and diet routine. With
the Olympics postponed, and rigourous training halted, athletes are left
confused, their diets disrupted.
Since September, there is a noticeable eating disorder
spike among children in North America and Europe. To combat this crisis, school
reopening should be a priority.
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This discussion is also relevant for adults. Our set
routines, commute to the office and back, prime of the day spent in the office
keep us away from food. Diet management is one of the lesser-known benefits of
office-going. Locked up at home, we need
to be super-disciplined to manage diet, exercise and sleep. A bowl of chips can
be quietly finished next to a business Zoom call.
Fears about the virus and financial worries can cause retributive eating and
drinking.
During new year parties, some people celebrate by
binge-eating after midnight. What a way to start a New Year. If the curfew
regulations can reduce indiscriminate eating while entering the new year, it
will set a good tone for orderly eating in 2021.
Ravi
How sad for so many teenagers
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