According to new study research, lockdowns implemented to control the spread of COVID-19 could be linked to an increase in symptoms of eating disorders.
The study findings have been published in the journal ‘Psychiatry Research’. This is a longitudinal study, conducted by the academics from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England, that examined the behavior and attitudes of 319 health club members during the summer of 2020.
To investigate the effects of the first Covid-19 restrictions introduced in the spring of 2020, the researchers followed up initial research into addictive or unhealthy behaviors that was conducted in 2019.
The eating attitude tests were conducted in which the participants with an average age of 37 completed the eating test called EAT-26 and answered the questions related to statements such as ‘I am terrified about being overweight, ‘I have the impulse to vomit after meals, and ‘I feel extremely guilty after eating.
It was found that average EAT-26 scores had significantly increased in 2020 that is post lockdown as compared to 2019 suggesting higher levels of morbid eating behaviors such as anorexia and bulimia.
However, the study found a reduction in exercise addiction symptoms post-lockdown. That showed the increased levels of individual exercise from 6.5 hours per week in 2019 to 7.5 hours per week post-lockdown in 2020.
Mike Trott, a PhD researcher at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) who led the study, said, “We can’t say for certain that COVID-19 is responsible for this increase in behavior associated with eating disorders. However, we do know that people often use food as a coping mechanism for stress, and clearly many people have been impacted by stressful events and significant changes over the last 12 months.”
“If future lockdowns or periods of enforced quarantine are required, practitioners working with people with suspected eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, should monitor these behaviors closely,” Trott added.
“Encouragingly, we also found that symptoms of exercise addiction fell following the first lockdown, but average exercise rates increased by an hour a week compared to 2019,” noted Trott.
Trott further said, “It could be that the participants in our study were eager to restart their exercise routines post-lockdown and make up for time lost by exercising more. Regardless of motives, there are many physical and mental health benefits to regular exercise, so this is a positive finding.”
