Rise of eating disorder referrals in children in Great Britain

Parts of Britain have seen a sharp rise in cases of eating disorders between 2019-2020 for young people.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health conducted a survey, talking to nearly 40 specialists across Great Britain, which found in a three to four times increase in cases.

According to NHS figures, child admissions for eating disorders in England had a 32% increase amongst all age groups when comparing data from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020.

A fundamental cause behind this rise of eating disorder referrals point towards the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in many young people isolating instead of socialising at school, at sports events or social events and increasing their time and use of social media.

Another significant factor behind the increase could be the lack of in-person consultations with GPs and doctors, resulting in those becoming seriously ill before being seen.