LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Twice as many people are now going to the hospital because of eating disorders. Issues connected to the pandemic are partially to blame, a new study found, but also found that living in close quarters gave family members and friends the opportunity to spot troubling habits.
The study was published by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, who published their work in the JAMA Network Open.
Lauren Smolar, the program director of the National Eating Disorders Association, said the findings make sense and also offer hope about the future of eating disorders.
“Some of this has [also] raised conversations and awareness that haven’t been possible before. There have been opportunities for people to get help virtually that weren't available prior to the pandemic,” Smolar said.
“And there are also the conversations just like this one where people now have more awareness of eating disorders and the opportunity to get help that they may have not been aware of before.”
Researchers studied more than three million people to get their data — and found that inpatient stays for eating disorders increased during the pandemic. They gave the following reasons for why that could be:
1. The pandemic may have promoted disordered eating behaviors among susceptible individuals. “For example, obesity was frequently cited as a risk factor for COVID severity,” researchers wrote.
2. Grocery shopping became more distressing early in the pandemic “because of contagion concerns, new rules, and rituals” researchers said, adding that in some cases people were buying large amounts of food to minimize how often they went to stores or because they worried about a food shortage.
“Additionally, exercise may have become a focus of control or a compensatory mechanism for eating,” researchers said.
In addition to the personal factors, researchers also theorized that closed schools and colleges may have made family members realize the unhealthy eating habits of loved ones — causing them to help their loved ones find solutions.
Smolar said the increased hospitalizations, though, indicate that in some cases seeking help came too late.
“We really do hope that people are reaching out earlier. If you are concerned about yourself or concerned about a loved one and their relationship with their body or their relationship with food we really do encourage you to reach out earlier rather than later.
If you or someone you know is in need of eating disorder help, call (800) 931-2237 to get in touch with a trained professional or visit the National Eating Disorders Association's website here.
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