'Check on the people that you love': Eating disorders on the rise during pandemic

Melanie Richards says her sister Rebecca was on the road to recovery from her eating disorder, but the process was interrupted by the pandemic.

Rebecca passed away six months ago.

“It started when she was 12 years old, and she hid it for a very long time, and a few people along the way did confront her about it, but she was too ashamed to admit it or get help,” said Richards.

“She really made a lot of efforts toward her recovery, but in the end the eating disorder took over.”

At the Douglas Mental Health Institute in Montreal, the number of people seeking help for eating disorders has jumped by 45 per cent during the pandemic.

Since the start of COVI-19, doctors around the world have been reporting a dramatic increase in the number of eating disorders — especially severe ones that require hospitalization.

“People have spent more time alone. They’ve been away from normal social contacts,” explained Dr. William Bukowski, a psychology professor at Concordia University.

He said for young people who are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders, the pandemic has also taken away the things that help build self-esteem.

“Friendship, security, validation of who you are, people accepting you in an authentic way. Those experiences can be powerful forms of protection,” he said.

For Richards, telling her sister’s story doesn’t ease the pain, but she hopes that talking about it might prevent another tragedy.

“Eating disorders get worse in isolation, you know,” she said, “so it’s important to check on the people that you love.”

“My sister was amazing. She was so inspiring to so many people. Very joyful, empathetic, compassionate, strong, extremely intelligent.”