The Covid pandemic has impacted everyone in some way, shape, or form. During the pandemic, many people were isolated from loved ones, creating loneliness. According to the statistics, this is one of the contributing factors to eating disorders. The pandemic has been an ideal environment for eating disorders to thrive due to the increase of loneliness and isolation. Since March of 2020, we have all experienced isolation to some degree.
Increases in Eating Disorders
Since 2012, eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia have increased significantly. There have been reports of eating disorders rising by almost 5% per year; researchers are finding what is causing the uptick in eating disorder diagnoses. Anthony Fardella, the lead author on the paper and medical student at USF Morsani College of Medicine, says that it’s speculated that eating disorders among millennials are increasing due to different stress factors than previous generations.
Some of the early studies point to media use, including social media, as being associated with increased risk for disordered eating, in particular through exposure to thin-ideal‐ and diet culture‐related content as well as food advertising (Boswell & Kober, 2016; Levine & Murnen, 2009; Rodgers & Melioli, 2016). The pandemic requirements of social distancing likely increase social media use as a means of communication, which may heighten the risk for disordered eating.
Social Media and Eating Disorders
Social media has created unrealistic expectations, especially in the days of newly created filters and AI-driven image manipulation. Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, and that Instagram made them feel worse. Facebook researchers wrote in the presentation about the adverse effects of Instagram, according to the Journal. This is one of the indicators of the added pressures facing the youth that have grown up in the digital revolution.
The statistics for eating disorders are staggering, as previously mentioned. A typical increase per year is 5% for 2020. The increase was a staggering 15%. During the pandemic, hospitals averaged about 41 new anorexia cases per month — up from about 25 in pre-pandemic times, the study found. And more newly diagnosed kids were ending up in the hospital: 20 hospitalizations a month in 2020, versus about eight in prior years.
The statistics are a significant indicator that we have a population of people who needed additional support since the pandemic started.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please reach out to us here for eating disorder treatment today.
