As World Eating Disorders Day (TCA) has just been held, dietician and nutritionist Corinne Fernandez is alarmed by the increase in the number of cases in her Paris office, especially among young people.
Why doctor – Do you notice an evolution concerning the number of your consultations dedicated to eating disorders?
Corinne Fernandez – Yes. Unfortunately, there is a very clear increase in the number of people who consult me for eating disorders. I would say the cases have doubled.
Since when did you notice this increase?
This phenomenon began to gain momentum after the first anti-Covid confinement.
Who are the people most affected?
All types of people can be affected, even if eating disorders affect more women around 40 and young girls aged 12 to 16 in my case.
What eating disorders do your patients mostly suffer from?
I see more cases of caloric restriction and anorexia, but there are also a lot of compulsive and bulimic behaviors.
On the nature of eating disorders, have you also observed an evolution?
Regarding young people, I did not have so many cases of suicide attempts and scarifications a few years ago. Their situation is also deteriorating very quickly, much more brutally than before, with hospitalizations. It’s worrying.
On the other hand, more and more fathers come to consult me for their child, which is a very good thing.
How do you explain the evolution of the nature and number of your consultations?
With the health crisis and the confinements, many factors could have led the French to lose their footing in terms of their diet: stopping physical activity, less good management of meals, teleworking, anxiety, stress, burn-out, loss of self-confidence, malaise in couples, separations, taking antidepressants… All this constitutes an explosive cocktail favoring the development of eating disorders.
Concerning women in particular, many decompensate on food because of their mental workload (management of household chores, children, work, etc.), which has been exacerbated by the health crisis. And among young people, social networks like TikTok and Instagram often lead them to chase after an ideal physique based on filters that only exists on the Web and does not correspond to bodily reality. Even “body positivism”, which starts from a good intention, is a deviant behavior, centered on a display and a worship of the body.
What signs should alert you to the development of an eating disorder?
Several signs should lead to react:
– the adoption of compensatory behaviors, which consist of eliminating calorie intake by taking laxatives, triggering vomiting, skipping meals or excessive sport.
– The sorting of items on the plate without them being consumed.
– The obsession for food, when she works from morning to night.
– Remarks from those around you about losing or gaining weight (often, people who develop an eating disorder do not realize their condition).
What to do if you feel that you are developing an eating disorder?
I advise first to talk about it with those close to you (family, friends, etc.), then to consult a health professional: a nutritionist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist or even a general practitioner.
And as parents, what if you’re worried about your teenager?
Parents are often completely at a loss when faced with their child’s eating disorder, who doesn’t always tell them about it. I therefore advise them to try to open a dialogue on the subject, and, if this is not possible, to talk about it with the family doctor, who will direct them to the appropriate health professionals. Also be careful not to forget the brothers and sisters, who may indirectly suffer from the disease, and to communicate about their own experience, why not in the support groups set up at the hospital.
As a nutritionist, what do you offer people who suffer from eating disorders?
There is no magic recipe or special diet, I adapt to the universe of each patient, trying to go in the direction of the person and to understand him. Regarding anorexia, for example, I work a lot on the fear of eating, explaining to my patients why the body needs food to function.
I also work a lot in coordination with doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists. It is fundamental, even vital.
Can an eating disorder be cured?
Yes, but the person will be marked by it all his life, it cannot be forgotten. There may be relapses, but not always.