Pandemic saw spike in eating disorder-related hospitalizations in teens, study finds

Doctors who reported nearly double the number of hospital admissions for teens with eating disorders are warning it may be the tip of the iceberg as the data only reflects those with severe cases.

"These findings emphasize how profoundly the pandemic has affected young people, who experienced school closures, canceled extracurricular activities, and social isolation," Alana Otto, M.D., M.P.H., an adolescent medicine physician at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and lead author, said. "For adolescents with eating disorders and those at risk for eating disorders, these significant disruptions may have worsened or triggered symptoms."  Otto, who also warned the data "doesn’t capture the entire picture" and "could be really conservative estimates," added that the feeling loss of control could have also played a role.