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By Stephanie Swensrude

EATING DISORDER AWARENESS

How to spot the signs of an eating disorder and get help

Feb 3, 2022 | 4:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — Eating disorders are on the rise and treatment is harder to come by due to the pandemic.

Staff at the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) have seen a 59 per cent increase in people looking for support for eating disorders.

COVID-19 public health restrictions continue to cause changes to routines which is why some may find comfort or control in an eating disorder such as anorexia or binge eating disorder.

“Our structure has changed and when you think about eating and movement, when those things change, those changes can really disrupt those patterns,” said Ary Maharaj, Outreach and Education Coordinator for NEDIC.

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Mental health supports in the province were hard to access before the pandemic and COVID caused these services to be stretched extra thin.

“Many hospital-based services have had to redirect healthcare resources accordingly, [and] eating disorders were already underfunded before the pandemic,” said Maharaj.

A common sign someone may be struggling with an eating disorder is sudden changes in mood and behaviour.

“A loved one [could be] getting more and more secretive or unsure when they’re talking about food and weight and shape,” said Maharaj. “When you see a loved one who might seem different than themselves, and you bring something up, they may react with shame and fear and denial.”

Someone with an eating disorder may spend a lot of brain power thinking about food and weight. They might have rigid rules around eating, like eating things in a specific order or only eating “safe” foods.

If the way you eat and think about food interferes with your life and keeps you from enjoying life and moving forward, you may be experiencing disordered eating.

If you’re concerned about a loved one and their relationship with food, Maharaj suggests reaching out in a non-judgemental way to avoid them getting defensive.

“The best thing to do is to continue to express your concern through ‘I’ statements. Things like, ‘I’ve noticed something about you and I’m concerned’, as opposed to ‘you’ statements like, ‘Why aren’t you eating’ or ‘Why don’t you just do this?’”

Maharaj also asked those suffering from eating disorders to try getting help, no matter how sick they think they are.

“Please give yourself a shot. I think it’s really important.”

The CMHA office in Kamloops has an eating disorder program offering information, assistance, assessment and treatment. You can also use NEDIC’s website to find a professional to help with an eating disorder. NEDIC also has an anonymous web chat and phone line for immediate help.