‘Very dramatic’ increase in number of Victorian children with eating disorders

There’s been a “very dramatic” increase in the number of Victorian children presenting to health services with eating disorders.

Director for the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Professor Susan Sawyer, says eating disorder prevalence built throughout the pandemic and it’s still very high.

“Certainly across the pandemic we’ve seen a very dramatic increase in the presentation of children with eating disorders to specialist services and indeed to primary care,” she told Ross and Russel.

“At the Royal Children’s Hospital we’ve seen an increase in all ages.”

The Age reports the number of young people receiving outpatient care for eating disorders from child and adolescent mental health services at the end of last year was close to the highest its ever been.

Press PLAY below to hear the eating disorder ‘red flags’ parents should look out for