She looks at herself in the mirror. Face blotchy, arms like a tuckshop lady, thighs huge.
From behind, I stare at her, wondering how those stick-thin legs are still standing, how those frail arms can lift anything, how those once beautiful eyes have become so sad, so mistaken.
Sadly, this is the twisted reality of eating disorders.
The latest statistics show that one in 20 Australians suffer from an eating disorder, a figure that’s doubled in the past 10 years. Eating disorders come in many forms, from bulimia nervosa to compulsive overeating. At the moment, one can hardly forget, we’re in the midst of an obesity crisis.
Now, I’m not going to argue that we don’t need to tackle childhood obesity—hell, it’s currently the number one chronic illness for adolescents in Australia. But I am going to say this: while we’re all worried about rising obesity levels, did you know anorexia nervosa is also still rising at alarming rates?
World-wide, one in 250 people suffer from anorexia. But in Australia, that statistic is far worse. Currently, it’s estimated that one in every 100 Australians suffers from anorexia. But another recent study by Dr Jenny O’Dea of the University of Sydney, shows one in five teenagers starve themselves or vomit up food to control their weight, meaning this eating disorder could be far more widespread than estimates show.
In her study, Dr O'Dea found that the number of girls who said they starved themselves for two or more days has doubled in six years. Hospital admittance for anorexia is also on the rise, with 34 children admitted to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital in 2003-04, compared to 103 in 2005-06.
And here’s the most concerning thing. While government funding has been pouring into obesity, hospital facilities for anorexia sufferers have declined. There are now more anorexia sufferers seeking treatment than there are hospital beds. At the Royal Melbourne Hospital there’s a waiting list of several months—a real worry when patients needing help might be days from death.
As well as improving hospital facilities, the cost of treatment needs attention, especially considering the average duration of anorexia is five years. Extra funding is urgently need for anorexia patients, particularly considering that finance is one of the main reasons patients forgo treatment and consequently, full recovery.
One of the biggest problems is that government funding is not targeting the primary groups of sufferers. Last year in Victoria, a State Government report recommended a major overhaul of anorexia facilities in hospitals. Yet it failed to address the fact that anorexia is now affecting a wider age group, not just young adults.
Doctors at the British Dietetic Association say it’s now not uncommon for women in their 40s and 50s to develop anorexia, as they try to emulate stick-thin celebrities like Sharon Stone or Madonna. And the age of anorexia sufferers is also dropping. Among the under-16s, the average age of sufferers has dropped from just over 14 years to 12 years in only 1.5 years. Doctors are even treating nine-year-olds with the condition and in one case a child of only four.
Last year, Victorian Minister for Health, Lisa Neville, admitted the system was not delivering enough care to childhood sufferers and more funding was needed. ‘We all need to acknowledge that we haven't delivered properly to this group, children and young people, in relation to eating disorders,’ she said.
Yet the ignorance of the Victorian Government—highlighted in a recent investigation by The Age—is being mirrored across the nation. Society has become blinded by outdated stereotypes of anorexia sufferers. A few decades ago, anorexia sufferers were mainly middle-class white girls. Now, the illness transcends cultural barriers and gender; more than one in 10 Australians with anorexia are male.
It seems anorexia is one of the most well-known illnesses, yet still one of the least understood.
In the public’s eye, anorexia is triggered by the media. While portrayals of skinny models and actresses jaunting down catwalks and red carpets are definitely part of the problem, researchers recently discovered that anxiety, stress and pressure are much more common causes of anorexia. In addition, early evidence has shown that anorexia may even be a genetic condition
Ironically, some experts even say the government’s heavy focus on childhood obesity is partly to blame. As Dr O'Dea says, ‘there's been a moral panic about obesity and I think the teenage girls are picking up on that.’
However, I’m not asking us to forget the battle of the bulge altogether. In fact, I think we can fight both anorexia and obesity on the same front, because all eating disorders can be severely damaging.
Hopefully, new research into the causes of anorexia may make the government take the illness more ‘seriously’, says Director of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Susan Sawyer. And if more can be done to identify anorexia and other eating disorders, as serious—deadly serious—then there is a greater chance for prevention.
Affected by these issues yourself or know someone who is? Check out our sister site http://www.reachout.com.au/
How do I know this?
ABC Online, 2007, ‘20pc of girls starving, vomiting to control weight: study’, July 20,
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/20/1983675.htm
The Age, 2008, ‘Anorexia: greater knowledge is the best cure’, March 29,
www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/anorexia-greater-knowledge-is-the-best-cure/2008/03/28/1206207404698.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Benson, K., 2008, ‘Relating to anorexia’, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 9,
www.smh.com.au/news/health/a-dogs-life-for-anorexia-families/2008/04/08/1207420388538.html
The Butterfly Foundation, 2008, Statistics,
www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/about_butterfly/statistics__1
Das, S., 2008, ‘Dying to be thin’, The Age, March 29,
www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/dying-to-be-thin/2008/03/28/1206207404915.html
Disordered Eating, 2007, Eating disorders in Australia,
www.disordered-eating.co.uk/eating-disorders-news/eating-disorders-australia.html
Gold Coast Sun, 2008, ‘Anorexia fears hit older demographic’, March 5, p35
Guardian Newspapers, 2003, Anorexia now affecting Australians as young as four, November 8,
www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-11-2003-44117.asp
Kruger, P., 2007, ‘1 in 5 girls display eating disorder behaviour: study’, ABC Online, July 20,
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/20/1984080.htm
Reach Out, 2008, Worried someone has an eating disorder?,
www.reachout.com.au/default.asp?ti=323
Reach Out, 2007, Anorexia Nervosa,
www.reachout.com.au/default.asp?ti=75
Woman’s Health Queensland Wide Inc, 2007, Eating disorders,
www.womhealth.org.au/studentfactsheets/eatingdisorders.htm
