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Autumn Chapman

Professor Cassel

ENG. 1201

27 October 2021

How does the Pandemic Correlate with Anorexia?

I felt dread and anxiety wash over me. I continued to look at what I thought was an ugly

sight. I could not believe my eyes as I continued to look at my worst nightmare. I felt tears

coming down my eyes and sweat covering my skin. The only thing was that the nightmare I was

seeing was myself in my bedroom mirror. As a teenager, I struggled with anorexia nervosa. I

would look at myself in the mirror every day, criticizing my weight and hating myself. I would

freak out if I had only one piece of junk food, didn’t get enough exercise, or even ate differently

than what I usually eat. I ended up getting down to around 125 pounds. This problem didn’t start

until the beginning of the pandemic of 2020. By not being able to interact with people and only

having my phone as entertainment, I continued to become more conscious about my weight. I

ended up getting over it, but some people aren’t as lucky. Though anorexia was already a

problem, anorexia has significantly increased during the pandemic through isolation, changes in

eating habits and living situations, and the increased use of social media.

Before Covid-19 hit, anorexia was already a problem. Anorexia, which is when an

individual sees themselves as overweight and tries to lose weight in an unhealthy way,

(GoodTherapy) became more concerning around 2016 to 2020 (Scott). Before the pandemic,

over 30 million people had struggled with an eating disorder (GoodTherapy). Anyone, no matter

the gender, race, or even age, can get anorexia (Scott). People who end up living with anorexia
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can be at risk of brain damage, organ failure, and even infertility. They can also develop

osteoporosis, anemia, brittle hair, dry skin, brittle nails, constipation, lower blood pressure, and

even a weaker pulse. About 10% of individuals end up dying from this illness(GoodTherapy).

Since there is more awareness, there have been more cases that have been reported (Scott).

Based on statistics, about 19% of cases are people with anorexia. Many of those cases are

individuals who also suffer from depression or other mental illnesses (Scott). All this can build

up to an individual having anorexia.

There are many reasons why anorexia would have increased during the lockdown.

Individuals are put in a new situation, whether if they are living with their parents or even living

alone. Though it may not affect most people, some people may go about it in a different way. By

not being able to go out and do normal activities, people could end up feeling bored, or even

anxious. Some Reddit users from the article, “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Disordered

Eating Behavior: Qualitative Analysis of Social Media”, talk about how their eating disorders are

affected by some lifestyle changes that were made during the pandemic. Ranging from changes

in exercise behavior and environment, many individuals suffered from anorexia, bulimia, and

even binge-eating disorder because of it. More than 1/3 of the Reddit users mentioned how not

being able to attend work, school, or even social gatherings led to them being bored all the time

(Nutley et al). Others have also said that they had to relocate because of college closing (Nutley

et al). Living with people that someone doesn’t usually live with, such as a parent, boyfriend, or

girlfriend, or even a grandparent, can change someone’s eating habits. Some parents may not

take the disorder seriously and even cause anxiety. An individual even mentioned that their

parents would make fun of their weight which caused the person to be more anxious ( Nutley et

al). The changes in the environment can lead to anorexia being formed.
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Changes in eating habits can also lead to anorexia. Many individuals start the pandemic

with the desire to lose weight. Since there wasn’t anything else to do, people would end up

wanting to use the time to become healthier. It soon becomes an unhealthy habit where the

person starts counting the calories they eat or even starts cutting out carbs. The article “Eating

Disorders on the Rise After Our Pandemic Year,” mentions how many teens would have access

to food throughout the pandemic. They would eat and gain weight out of being bored. They

would soon become desperate to lose the weight they have gained by restricting most foods.

(Katella). It usually starts as someone just wanting to lose weight. Throughout time, it becomes

an addiction to where she or he cannot stop. They continue eating less to where it becomes

critical for them to start eating again. Even bullying could cause a change in eating habits. When

someone online says that the person is fat, or a pig, they would end up changing how they eat to

look how society wants them to (Katella). By changing eating habits, it can lead to bad outcomes

if not monitored.

During the pandemic, isolation has also led to anorexia. By being alone and having no

one to talk to, the individual is left with their thoughts (Scott). With technology and stress

running most people’s lives, it’s easy to start pushing worries on one thought. People are

building up these negative thoughts with no one else to talk to. This could cause their health to

get even worse. By being alone, it causes people to live with their own issues and think about

their flaws. Since it’s crucial for kids to socialize and do peer activities, it could start taking a toll

on them (Scott). Isolation has also caused people to not have access to services or therapies that

could help (Scott). The pandemic has caused many hospitals to be preoccupied with covid cases

where they don’t have time for people who are suffering from eating disorders. This leaves the

person to continue getting worse (Scott). The pandemic hasn’t just taken people away from their
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lives but also normal activities also. By the gyms, schools, and even some churches being closed,

it can cause the person to feel more depressed, alone, and anxious than they did before the

pandemic (Scott).

Throughout the pandemic, isolation hasn’t just affected women but men as well. There

were about 15% of cases that dealt with men during the pandemic (GoodTherapy). There has

been a 30% to 40% increase in cases since the pandemic has started for both males and females

(GoodTherapy). Socializing has been a huge part of most males’ lives and taking that away can

lead to feeling alone or even bored. About 30% of the cases have been teenage girls.

(GoodTherapy). Since women search others for support, being separated would cause them to

feel unwanted. If they make a mistake in their eating habits, they won’t be able to tell their loved

ones. No one would know if they were well or not. Though there is technology, real-life

interaction has been important for children and even teenagers (Scott).

Social media has also had a major impact on anorexia. Ever since the pandemic started,

more people have started using Instagram, Facebook, and even Tik Tok. People are staying

connected through commenting and even texting. People would be seeing advertisements of

what is considered the “Perfect girl” and would end up starting to compare themselves to them.

Though most of these models have been photoshopped to look one way, many young girls aren’t

able to see past it.

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Fig. 1. Picture shows an unedited vs edited version of a female model. It shows how weight can

easily be manipulated through photoshop (MessyNessy).

It ends up lowering their self-esteem and causing them to doubt themselves (Scott). On Tik-Tok

there have been videos that show how to lose weight and show “healthy” eating habits. When

people at risk of anorexia end up watching it, they would start taking it to the next level. They

continue to follow it without moderation which ends up leading to an eating disorder or other

illnesses. They see people who are abnormally thin thinking it’s normal to be that way. It also is

normalized on television. Usually, the female characters are thin and end up having some sort of

boyfriend. When girls watch this, they think they must be thin and if they aren’t with someone,

they end up being different in society.

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The stereotype of thin, young, and clear-skinned women has caused women to start

feeling more conscious about themselves, and thinking they aren’t enough (Katella). A lot of

people end up getting misdiagnosed because of this view from the media. If someone is thin,

they are automatically assumed to have anorexia (Katella). It can go the other way around too. If

someone is overweight, they usually aren’t known to be anorexic. If someone sees someone who

is obese, they either think they are binge-eaters or even could be a result of genetics. People

automatically think that anorexia correlates with being underweight. The use of social media has

caused stereotypes that could lead to misdiagnosis and even mistreatment. Glorifying being

skinny, or even overweight can cause people to think what they’re doing is okay. People could

follow the mindset that, “I’m not as skinny as that person so I’m fine,” or “I’m not as overweight

as that person so I am okay.” By following that mindset, people could continue getting sicker. It

could end up to the point it may be too late.

Anorexia has impacted and caused frustration in many people’s lives. It could cause

people to not do well in sports, or even do badly in school (Amy). Throughout the pandemic,

many people have been lacking sleep and even exercising more often (Nutley et al). Though

exercise can be good when done in moderation, it could also become unhealthy when done

excessively. According to a Reddit user, he or she has gone from regular exercise to walking four

hours a day (Nutley et al). It could get to the point where people can’t stop even though they

want to. Food shortages have also been a problem. By grocery stores closing many people don’t

have access to food (Nutley et al). This can cause people to not eat as much.

Toxic relationships have caused an impact in the rise of anorexia also. By quarantine

causing many people to be stuck in their house, people could end up being stuck living with their

boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, or even siblings (Nutley et al). Many people have parents they
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don’t have a good relationship with, or even a toxic boyfriend or girlfriend. Some parents would

take the eating disorder as a joke and act like they are making it up (Nutley et al). Other times,

they could end up fat-shaming, which causes the person to feel more conscious about

themselves. People could also live with too timid people also. Someone could be too worried to

confront someone because they are worried about what the person would think (Nutley et al).

This can make the person continue doing their unhealthy habits.

Many people end up not realizing they have anorexia or may even avoid it (Katella). By

not realizing that they have an eating disorder they won’t end up getting the help they need. By

avoiding treatment, they could end up getting complications such as organ failure (Katella). In

some cases, individuals would vomit what they eat or take some sort of drug to lose weight. If

this ends up going untreated this could lead to acid reflux, chronic inflammation, and even some

precancerous symptoms (Katella). Other dangerous symptoms include narrowing of the

esophagus or more common symptoms such as voice change (Katella). These symptoms can lead

to Dysphagia, which is a tough time swallowing (Katella). Many people can’t be diagnosed or

may not even have access to treatment. Like mentioned, this can lead to illness getting worse and

may even lead to death. Without offering support or the person acknowledging that they have an

eating disorder, it could cause the person to not be treated.

Though anorexia is a dangerous eating disorder, there are ways of curing it. By having

parental support, and even effective treatment available, anorexia could end up being cured.

Since many adults think that weight loss is an answer for their kid’s life, many people could

change their mindset and think about a better alternative (Katella). Having the right doctors and

dietitians to help with the problem could lead to a healthier lifestyle (Mayo Clinic). Some

treatments for anorexia could be therapy sessions, supplements for lack of nutrition, and even
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supplements to increase appetite (Mayo Clinic). When people find ways to cope with it and keep

to the treatments, they could end up not having anorexia anymore. When people find others to

talk to, stop weighing every day, and even find ways to distract themselves, it can help the

person become healthier. (Mayo Clinic). The pandemic has caused a lot of hospitals and clinics

to be overfilled or closed, which has stopped people from getting help. This has caused cases to

rise.

There are mindsets that can cause or get rid of anorexia also. Having the mindset that

someone must be perfect or look like what women are shown on TV, could lead to the person

building anorexic habits (Katella). Comparing weight to other people can also cause people to be

more conscious about themselves. When someone constantly wants to look like the girl, or guy

that sits next to them in class, it could cause them to be in competition with themselves (Katella).

On the other hand, if a healthy mindset is kept such as knowing that not every person is going to

be extremely thin, or that each body type is different, it could lead to some healthy results

(Katella). It is okay to lose weight to become fit, but when it goes to the point where a person

wants to become thin, that's when it becomes a problem. The pandemic has caused lots of these

mindsets to change which also caused a rise in anorexia cases.

Though many people think that the pandemic has caused anorexia to rise in the past

years, some people may not think the same way. Some individuals may think that the pandemic

hasn’t directly led to the increase of anorexia cases. The article, “Comparing eating behaviors,

and symptoms of depression and anxiety between Spain and Greece during the COVID-19

outbreak: Cross-sectional analysis of two different confinement strategies,” talks about how

anorexia is more severe in a country that has fewer restrictions (Papandreou et al). Research is

done on both countries, Spain, and Greece, and sees how different eating disorder severity is
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among them (Papandreou et al). Since the results led to more restrictions causing more anxiety

while fewer restrictions caused more eating disorders, people would conclude that it isn’t the

restrictions causing the rise (Papandreo et al). Greece, which has less severe restrictions, has

greater numbers than Spain when correlating with anorexia (Papandreo et al).

Characteristics of a study of population by country

Spain (n = 1,002) Greece (n = 839) p value

Restraint eating 2.5 ± 0.79 2.7 ± 0.85 <0.001
behaviour
Emotional eating 2.1 ± 0.81 2.3 ± 0.99 <0.001
behaviour
External eating 2.6 ± 0.65 2.9 ± 0.74 <0.001
behaviour
Depression (PHQ-9) 5.0 ± 4.8 5.6 ± 5.3 0.012
Anxiety (GAD-7) 4.6 ± 4.4 4.4 ± 4.9 0.448
Sex (% women) 70.3 66.7 0.096
Age (years) 46.1 ± 13.3 42.4 ± 11.7 <0.001
BMI before lockdown 24.8 ± 4.2 25.6 ± 5.0 <0.001
(kg/m2)
Perception of weight 38.4 39.8 <0.001
increase during
Fig. 2. A table showing differences in eating disorders among the population between Spain and

Greece (Papandreou et al).

Fewer restrictions could be more affective on anorexia because they have more exercise

opportunities that can lead to more weight loss. The gyms and parks would be opened, which

would create more ways for people to exercise if they didn’t have good options at home.

Sometimes more restrictions could cause anxiety but because there aren’t a lot of exercise

activities around where most people live it can cause their eating disorder to not get wors e.

Though this may be true in some cases, studies have shown that the pandemic, and the

restrictions, had a significant impact on the increased cases. Many researchers found that

quarantine and clinics like telehealth, have caused many disorders to get worse (Mental Health
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Weekly Digest). Since telehealth involves talking through technology and not face-to-face

interaction, the person may not feel connected. More restrictions, such as isolation have shown to

have an impact on anorexia cases (Mental Health Weekly Digest). Restrictions that cause

activities, and even churches, to be closed have caused individuals to feel more isolated and only

with themselves (Nutley et al). Since activities like church and school are crucial to some

people’s social lives, taking that away has caused people to not be able to interact with friends or

family that could have been able to help them in normal times (Nutley et al). More restrictions

placed on a person can lead to the person losing interaction with their peers, necessary help, and

emotional support.

People may think that there aren’t that many cases compared to before. Since anorexia

has already been around, people may think that the case numbers haven’t changed. Many people

may think certain people aren’t able to get anorexia, including males (GoodTherapy). Since it

isn’t as common for men to get anorexia, people may think the case numbers aren’t accurate.

They may also think many people are faking the eating disorder for attention. It’s common for

many people to be accused of being an attention-seeker because they are saying they have a

disorder. Because of an assumption of someone’s weight, they assume they are making the

eating disorder up (GoodTherapy). Eating disorders could be falsified in some cases to where

they may think they have it because they are feeling a certain way. They could mistake it for

something else. They could get treated by parents in a different way to where they think they

have a disorder, or even have one but isn't taken seriously (Nutley et al). Based on some

research, some cases could be forced because of how parents treat them. By people calling them

fat or too skinny they could automatically think they have an eating disorder (Nutley et al).
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Though there may have been these types of cases before, many cases that have occurred

are reliable. Many people may not have access to a hospital to diagnose their eating disorder

(GoodTherapy). Cases are known to have risen about 30% in certain clinics (GoodTherapy).

This is because many people are starting to report it more and realize that more people are

starting to get the eating disorder. Because of some toxic relationships, there could be more cases

that aren’t reported (Nutley et al). Many people are made to believe they don’t have a disorder.

Their parents may not listen to them, or their boyfriend or girlfriend may manipulate them in

certain ways (Nutley et al). In most cases, eating disorders need to be taken seriously. If people

have the mindset that people are just making their disorder up because they want attention, no

one will want to report their disorder. People who say they have an eating disorder should be

taken seriously and be listened to, not the other way around.

Anorexia has infected many lives, including mine. I couldn’t go a day without thinking

about my weight or feeling sorry for myself. The number of days I would have spent in front of

my mirror is too many to count. I couldn’t see myself as beautiful. It came to the point where it

wasn’t just harming me but the people around me. Without interaction with friends, activities,

and even school to get my mind off myself, I couldn’t overcome it in the beginning. In the end, I

was able to overcome it naturally, without therapy or even hospitals. Though many people aren’t

as lucky as me, there is always hope around every corner. Like myself, many cases have been

occurring during the pandemic. The pandemic has been a huge contributing factor in many

people’s lives, including mine. Even though anorexia was a problem before, the pandemic has

significantly increased the number of cases through isolation, eating habits, and living situations,

and even the increased use of social media

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Works Cited

"Amy's Story-Anorexia." Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources, edited by

K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, Gale, 2006, pp. 159-163. Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3456500067/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=e3273ec5. Accessed 1 Nov. 2021.

“Anorexia Nervosa.” Mayo Clinic. 20 Feb. 2018, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591 Accessed 1 Nov. 2021

Katella, Kathy. “Eating Disorders on the Rise After Our Pandemic Year.” YaleMedicine. 15 June.

2021, https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/eating-disorders-pandemic Accessed 1 Nov.

2021

Nutley, Sara K, Alyssa M. Falise, Rebecca Henderson, Vasiliki Apostolou, Carol A. Mathews,

and Catherine W. Striley. “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Disordered Eating

Behavior: Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Posts.” JMIR Mental Health, JMIR

Publications, 27 January 2021, https://mental.jmir.org/2021/1/e26011 Accessed 1 Nov.

2021

Papandreou, Christopher, Victoria Arija, Eleni Aretouli, Konstantinos K.Tsilidis, and Mònica

Bulliò. “Comparing eating behaviours, and symptoms of depression and anxiety between

Spain and Greece during COVID-19 outbreak: Cross-sectional analysis of two different

confinement strategies.” European Eating Disorders Review, vol. 28, no.6, Aug. 2020,
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pp. 836-846 http://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/doi/full/10.1002/erv.2772

Accessed 1 Nov. 2021

"Research Data from Swansea University Update Understanding of COVID-19 (Narratives From

Within 'lockdown': a Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Covid-19 Confinement On

Individuals With Anorexia Nervosa)." Mental Health Weekly Digest, 1 Nov. 2021, p.

653. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A680793582/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=e3aa6524. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

Scott, Anna. “WHAT’S BEHIND THE RISE: Anorexia ARFID Binge eating Bulimia Other

specified.” Community Practitioner, vol. 94, no. 4, pp.38-43 https://eds-b-ebscohost-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=18&sid=9cdfd668-2766-418f-a695-

8fb2dc44dc2b%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=ccm&A

N=151760801

“The Reality of Celebrity Photoshop: Before and After.” MessyNessy, 12 October 2010,

https://www.messynessychic.com/2010/10/12/the-reality-of-celebrity-photoshop-before-

and-after/ Accessed 11 Nov. 2021

“The Rise of Eating Disorders During COVID-19.” GoodTherapy, GoodTherapyblog, 23 July

2021, https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/Rise-of-Eating-Disorders-COVID-19 Accessed

1 Nov. 2021
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