- Eating disorders affect nearly 1 in 10 people during their lifetime.
- People can make a full recovery if eating disorders are diagnosed and treated early.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of eating disorders globally.
- In the UK, there has been an 84% increase in hospitalizations in the last 5 years. New guidelines from the UK’s Royal College of Psychiatrists aim to help healthcare professionals diagnose eating disorders earlier to avoid hospitalisation.
According to estimates from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), more than 700,000 people in the UK have an eating disorder (ED). Many people with ED do not seek health care services, so NICE states that this is almost certainly an underestimate.
In the U.S, America Mental Health Reports that 20 million women and 10 million men will experience clinically significant erectile dysfunction at some point in their lives.
Worldwide, according to a wide-ranging review8.4% of women and 2.2% of men will have an ED in their lifetime.
Eating disorders include:
A new analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has highlighted an alarming rise in hospital admissions for eating disorders in the UK, with an 84% rise in the last 5 years.
The largest increase was in girls and young women under the age of 18. Fewer boys and young men are being hospitalized with eating disorders, but their number has more than doubled in 5 years.
“Men make up 25% of people with anorexia nervosa, and they may be at higher risk of dying, in part because they are often diagnosed later, as many people assume men don’t have eating disorders.”
– Dr. Maria TantilloProfessor of Clinical Nursing, University of Rochester, MA, and Director of the Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders of Western New York
This increase in emergencies and hospitalizations is not limited to the United Kingdom A review of studies between 2000 and 2018 found that, globally, the number of diagnoses had more than doubled in that period. Y A study of 3.25 million people in the US found a 100% increase in inpatient treatment for eating disorders between January 2018 and December 2020.
RCPsych highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention to prevent hospitalizations. People with ED often appear healthy with normal blood tests, so signs that an ED has become life-threatening are often missed in primary and emergency care settings.
To help health professionals spot signs that an ED is causing serious health problems, RCPsych has published a new Guidelines for Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders (GRATIFICATION).
Dr Dasha Nichollsa consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, who chaired the development of the guidelines, said:
“Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating do not discriminate and can affect people of any age and gender. They are mental health disorders, not a ‘lifestyle choice’, and we should not underestimate how serious they are.”
Although the guidelines are intended for medical health professionals, they also contain helpful advice for caregivers and patients.
“There has been a shocking increase in hospital admissions for people with eating disorders, made worse by the devastating impact of the pandemic on the mental health of the public.”
— Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at the UK Eating Disorders Charity Hit
As early as May 2020, the ONU highlighted the possible impacts of the pandemic on mental health. Since then, A lot of studies have shown how the pandemic has increased mental health problems. Dr. Tantillo explained the effect of COVID-19 on eating disorders to Today’s medical news:
“[People with EDs] don’t do well with inconsistency, ambiguity, uncertainty, and unpredictability. So you can imagine the devastating impact COVID [has had] in people with erectile dysfunction. There has been an increased occurrence of illness and relapse during the pandemic, even in patients who were doing quite well before the pandemic.”
Dr. Tantillo also commented that social isolation has created opportunities for young adults to connect with unhelpful social media sources, increasing the risk of ED. He highlighted the sharp rise in the US: “The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline has seen a 107% increase in contacts since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Alongside these pressures has been the difficulty of accessing treatment during the pandemic, as Tom Quinn noted, “The dramatic increase in hospitalization shows that people are not getting treatment fast enough, and patients admitted to the hospital have become too sick to be treated in community care. settings.”
“If we want to stop the eating disorder epidemic in its tracks, it is vital that this guidance reaches healthcare professionals urgently and that the government supports them with the necessary resources to implement it.”
— Dr. Nicholls
Doctors and charities in the UK and US have welcomed the new guidelines. Tom Quinn felt they would help with diagnosis: “MEED provides broader guidance on the evaluation and management of all eating disorders that can lead to patients presenting as a medical emergency,” he said.
Dr. Tantillo agreed: “I applaud the development of the Orientation of Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders. It is necessary and critical because there is still very little training on eating disorders that primary care and behavioral health providers receive (during their initial training and once on the job).”
He added: “Front-line hospital staff need this information to help dispel many of the myths surrounding eating disorders.”
