Eating disorders in children have soared during the pandemic and experts are now warning parents to be vigilant.
Isolation from friends, exam cancellations and loss of extracurricular activities caused stress and encouraged them to focus on eating and exercise, suggested the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Increased use of social media while staying at home can also give children unrealistic ideas of how their body should look, say experts.
Eating disorders in children have soared during the pandemic and experts are now warning parents to be vigilant (file image)
This is combined with anxiety about family money troubles, catching the virus and loved ones dying from it.
First published on Wed 16 Dec 2020 12.55 EST
A doubling of urgent referrals for children with eating disorders combined with a squeeze on services caused by the pandemic has led to an increase in waiting times, with some patients sent hundreds of miles to obtain help, psychiatrists have said.
A staggering one in five women in England may have an eating disorder, according to the NHS Health Survey for England. The figures for 2019 are far higher than those in a comparable survey in 2007.
The number of young people seeking emergency support in the community for anorexia and bulimia reached an all-time high, as mental health practitioners say eating disorders thrive in the isolation brought on by coronavirus. However, available treatment has been further reduced, as most day services are either closed or run with hugely reduced numbers. A leading psychiatrist said the situation was leading to avoidable deaths.