The Pandemic and Eating Disorders

In a recent article in the New York Times, adolescent psychologist Lisa Damour reported that eating disorders among teenagers have exploded during the pandemic. Eating disorder clinics are reporting a two-fold increase in intakes of adolescent patients since the pandemic began. The National Eating Disorders Association hotline saw a forty percent jump in call volume after March 2020. Thirty-five percent of those callers were between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, which was up from the year before. There are many possible causes. The stress of the pandemic and the changes that it brought fed anxiety. Since eating disorders are associated with high achievement, many kids who had been focused on academics and extracurriculars now spent time focusing on their physical health and appearance. Still others felt increased appearance pressure from spending more time on social media. If your child is struggling with disordered eating, secure the help of a qualified and experience Christian counselor.