Anorexia, bulimia… The health crisis causes a worrying increase in eating disorders among young adults

This is another wave that has been growing for a year at the clinic for mental illnesses and brain (CMME) at Sainte-Anne hospital in Paris. Within its unit specializing in the management of eating disorders, a bed never remains vacant for more than a minute. “We have a waiting list for hospitalization of around thirty people, with for each vacant space at least five to six patients in an emergency situation”, describes the head of clinic Laura Di Lodovico.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions associated with it, cases of bulimia, overeating and anorexia have exploded in France, especially among young adults who flock to this Parisian center. In all the specialized services serving this public that we interviewed, the same worrying order of magnitude is reported: an increase of around 30% in demand compared to other years. The Anorexia Bulimia Info listening telephone line also saw its calls increase by 30% in 2020.

At the CMME, which manages a third of the activity linked to eating disorders (TCA) in Ile-de-France, the waiting period for hospitalization has increased from two to more than six months. The peak of requests for care for TCA is between 18 and 21 years old. “It is an age of transition which makes it a vulnerable population”, specifies the psychiatrist and head of department Philibert Duriez. In France, around 600,000 adolescents and young adults, mainly women, are concerned. “With the crisis, anxiety and the alteration of routines for this youth forced to distance learning and prolonged uncertainty, but also social isolation or the return to a sometimes conflicting family environment, have increased the risk” , observes the doctor, who notes a strong increase in cases and decompensations and a worsening of syndromes in 17-30 year olds.

Weigh each food

Esther (some first names have been changed to preserve medical confidentiality) crosses the common space of the center, where unfinished puzzles are spread out on the tables. For this 27-year-old young woman, anorexia appeared during the first confinement. Back with her parents, her days seem empty to her: she has been put on short-time work when she has just started a new job. Concerned about her appearance and trying not to“Encrust”, she embarks on intensive daily sport and begins to restrict the amounts of food she ingests. “Then I eliminated animal proteins, starches, until I only ate vegetables and salad. Seeing my body evolve was my only satisfaction. It was the only thing I mastered. “

You have 69.16% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.