The number of young people experiencing eating disorders surged during the height of the pandemic as the social and economic costs skyrocketed too, a new pan-Canadian report has found.
Demand for publicly funded eating disorder treatment in Canada has increased substantially during the pandemic, experts say, and that's had an effect on wait times for services.
More than a year after finishing treatment for an obsession with food and counting calories, Grade 12 student Brooke Ailey of Thunder Bay, Ont., is sharing her story to raise awareness about the prevalence of disordered eating in young female athletes.
Cassandra Szklarski
Trent University student Sterling Renzoni is shown in a handout photo. Renzoni says the pandemic has made it harder for many young people struggling with eating disorders.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sterling Renzoni January 21, 2021 - 5:30 AM TORONTO - Pediatric and mental health experts say pandemic stress is driving a spike in eating disorders among adolescents and teens, pointing to school disruptions, social isolation and infection fears as destabilizing factors that could have long-term physical and mental health effects. Doctors at Toronto s Hospital for Sick Children, Ottawa s pediatric hospital and research centre CHEO and the Alberta Children s Hospital in Calgary are among those noting a significant jump in admissions and demand for outpatient treatment.
TORONTO Pediatric and mental health experts say pandemic stress is driving a spike in eating disorders among adolescents and teens, pointing to school disruptions, social isolation and infection fears as destabilizing factors that could have long-term physical and mental health effects. Doctors at Toronto s Hospital for Sick Children, Ottawa s pediatric hospital and research centre CHEO and the Alberta Children s Hospital in Calgary are among those noting a significant jump in admissions and demand for outpatient treatment. Dr. Ellie Vyver of the Alberta Children s Hospital says admissions more than doubled at her hospital between July and September last year and continue to rise. Colleagues across the country are reporting similar signs of despair.