Children as young as five 'diagnosed with eating disorders'

It is not yet clear whether the increasing diagnoses of young children is as a result of more children developing eating disorders at a younger age or if an increased awareness of the possibility of eating disorders among children has led to earlier diagnoses. File picture: iStock

Children as young as five years old are being diagnosed with eating disorders, according to the Psychological Society of Ireland.

The number of children and adolescents presenting for inpatient treatment in mental health services has jumped from 33 in 2018 to 116 in 2021, according to the society. And it says among this cohort, eating disorder specialists are reporting an increase in the diagnoses of children with eating disorders - some as young as five or six years old.

It is not yet clear whether the increasing diagnoses of young children is as a result of more children developing eating disorders at a younger age or if an increased awareness of the possibility of eating disorders among children has led to earlier diagnoses.

The society is highlighting that eating disorders can occur no matter what age people are, as Eating Disorder Awareness Week gets underway.

Eating disorders are now the second most common reason for an under 18-year-old to be admitted to an inpatient hospital with mental health difficulties, according to the PSI. And 96% of children and adolescents admitted in relation to eating disorders are girls.

Dr Jillian Doyle of the PSI said: “People with an eating disorder who present as adults often talk about their eating disorders starting when they were very young.” She said the rise in admissions for children and young people is very worrying.

 “Covid made life very difficult for people with eating disorders. People did not get out and about and didn’t have the same level of social interaction – teenagers and pre-adolescents struggling with an eating disorder where maybe it would have been caught by a teacher or a peer. It seems that it gained momentum during Covid,” said Dr Doyle.

She said that people were more active online during the pandemic, when they were inundated with body images they aspired to have.

Dr Doyle said: “Younger people with body dissatisfaction are looking to role models on social media or celebrities and who may, during Covid, not have been as exposed to normal body types as they would if they were walking around or in school.” 

Eating disorders in other age groups

Meanwhile, the society is also highlighting that between 5% and 8% of pregnant women suffer with an eating disorder, with a high risk of relapse during the prenatal and postpartum periods for women with a history of eating disorders. Issues around control, flexibility, perfectionism and identity all play a role in an eating disorder taking root in a person’s life, according to the PSI.

The society says that those with a background of an eating disorder are at increased risk for infertility or subfertility; stillbirth; premature birth; difficulty breastfeeding, and having babies with low birthweight.

Dr Doyle says an eating disorder can creep up on anyone, no matter what part of life they are on – including with older people. She points out that some people seek treatment in their later years, after suffering with an eating disorder for many years.

Medical complications because of age, the stigma of eating disorders in a still ‘untypical’ age, and the glorification of sports activity often hinder the recognition of eating disorders in midlife and older persons, says the PSI.

Support and helplines:

• Bodywhys Helpline: 01-2107906 
• Bodywhys E-mail Support Service: [e-mail] 
• HSE Eating Disorder Self Care App 
• Bodywhys PiLaR programme for families of eating disorder sufferers