Feb. 22, 2021
February 22nd through February 28th Is National Eating Disorders
Awareness Week
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental
health and substance use disorders. An article that was published in the International
Journal of Eating Disorders (2020) indicates that the COVID-19
pandemic will likely increase the risk and symptoms of eating
disorders. Some examples include anorexia nervosa, bulimia
nervosa, binge eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food
intake disorder. The article also states that the pandemic can
both decrease factors that prevent eating disorders and
exacerbate barriers to care. This is because the disruption to
daily routines and limitations on outdoor activities could
increase concerns about body shape and weight and those same
circumstances can limit support and coping strategies. Video
conferencing could provoke concerns about weight and appearance.
The pandemic can also ignite fears related to a person's health
and could increase symptoms of an eating disorder, such as
restrictive dieting. The National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA) states that eating disorders can
negatively impact a person's cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and
neurological systems. Inadequate nutrition can decrease the
number of certain types of blood cells, including white blood
cells which results in a decreased ability to fight infection.
This contributes to the high mortality rate among individuals
with eating disorders, which, according to verywellmind.com, is
the highest among all mental illnesses.
"The COVID-19 pandemic and being inside or isolated can cause
overeating or eating a large amount of unhealthy snacks out of
boredom. Generally speaking, people do not often know that they
have an eating disorder because the person does not consider
their eating habits to be a serious problem. This is particular
dangerous because eating disorders can cause a number of serious
medical problems," said Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO of
NJAMHAA.
It is also important to recognize that eating disorders impact
people from all demographics and are not caused by one single
factor. For example, according to the NEDA, people with
disabilities could experience unique stressors, such as prejudice
and being excluded from activities, that can contribute to the
development of an eating disorder. The NEDA states that Black teenagers are 50
percent more likely than White teenagers to engage in bulimic
behavior and Latinx adolescents are more likely to experience
bulimia nervosa than non-Latinx individuals. Members of the
lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-queer-or-questioning-plus
(LGBTQ+) community are at a higher risk of developing eating
disorders than heterosexual individuals due to a fear of
rejection or experiences of rejection, internalized negative
messages, and an inability to meet body image ideals in some
cultural contexts. As a result, these groups can experience
barriers to support and treatment.
"It is important to recognize that disordered eating impacts all
types of people from different social groups. This awareness can
be a critical component in eating disorder prevention, treatment
and recovery. A person can be healthy at a range of different
weights. We should also appreciate the differences that people
have and treat people with respect, while also encouraging
healthy behaviors and lifestyles," said Dr. Wentz.
February 22nd to February 28th is National Eating Disorders
Awareness Week, which is hosted by NEDA. The goal of National
Eating Disorder Awareness Week is to bring attention to eating
disorders through education, sharing resources and spreading a
message of hope for recovery. The theme for National Eating
Disorder Awareness Week is "Every Body Should Have a Seat at the
Table". This year, NEDA is encouraging marginalized communities
to engage in conversations about raising awareness, share stories
from individuals of all backgrounds and challenge systemic
biases. Resources, such as infographics, presentations and
videos, from the National Eating Disorders Association can be
accessed here.
