Your Healthy Family: Eating disorders on the rise for teens and moms during the pandemic – KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

AUSTIN, TEXAS — In this time of COVID-19, eating disorders are on the rise, according to experts with the eating recovery center. They say it is more common among young teens, but moms are also suffering.

With moms increasingly more stressed about balancing working from home, homeschooling, job losses, and more some women can be more at risk for an eating disorder.

Dr. Deborah Michel, who is the regional clinical director in Austin Texas says type-a personalities or perfectionists are at the top of the list. “Perfectionistic characteristics can mean working out becomes the number one important thing that needs to happen that day. When individuals aren’t able to exercise the way that they would like to, we often see that they feel guilt, they may get angry, irritable and they may feel depressed.”

That can mean sacrificing food, family, and other daily needs to workout.

Working out itself isn’t normally a bad thing since it can be a way to cope and reduce anxiety but like with anything, too much can be harmful says Dr. Michel. “Working out can be used as a means of permission to eat, it can be used as a way to compensate for any food eaten. It can be used as a way – oftentimes really the only way or the primary way to reduce stress and reduce anxiety. It becomes a way for the individual to regulate their emotion.”

Remember if you’re struggling right now with a healthy diet or lifestyle, don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help from a health care provider it can go a long way.

You can find many helpful resources from mental health experts to weight loss experts on the main Your Healthy Family page.