Anorexia Patients Under 10 Increased by 97.5%
Experts Say "Appearance Standards Favoring Thin Bodies Must Change"
Over the past five years, the number of teenage female patients with anorexia nervosa has doubled. Experts point out that the societal preference for extremely thin bodies can harm women's health.
On the 16th, Shin Hyun-young, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, analyzed data on eating disorder treatment status provided by the National Health Insurance Service. The analysis revealed that the number of patients visiting hospitals for eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa has significantly increased from 2018 to last year.
Eating disorders are mental disorders characterized by serious problems in eating behavior. Bulimia nervosa, which involves impulsively consuming large amounts of food at once, and anorexia nervosa, which involves refusing to eat, are representative examples.
According to the data, the number of bulimia nervosa patients last year was 4,115, a 32.4% increase from 3,108 in 2018. Among them, women accounted for a staggering 89.6% (3,686 patients). By age group, women in their 20s made up the largest portion at 40.0%, followed by those in their 30s at 21.5%, 40s at 13.0%, and teenagers and younger at 10.8%.
The number of patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa last year was 3,084, a 44.4% increase from 2,136 in 2018, with women accounting for 75.7%. Among female patients, those aged 70 and above were the largest group at 37.6%, followed by teenagers and younger at 23.3%, those in their 20s at 12.2%, 60s at 9.6%, and 30s at 6.7%.
Notably, the number of anorexia nervosa patients aged 10 and under increased from 275 in 2018 to 543 last year, a 97.5% rise in four years. Experts point out that the societal pressure to "be thin" triggers eating disorders among young women.
Professor Hong Hyun-joo of the Department of Psychiatry at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital stated, "There are quite a few cases where patients who refuse to eat due to anorexia nervosa appear years later having gained a lot of weight." This indicates that many patients oscillate between bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.
She added, "In Korea, the standard of appearance is excessively focused on being thin, so even a slight weight gain is perceived as being fat, leading to an obsession with dieting," and emphasized, "There is a need to relax the standards of beauty."
In fact, a new term called "pro-ana" has recently spread like a trend among women in their teens to early twenties, causing concern. Pro-ana is a compound of "pro," meaning support, and "anorexia," referring to anorexia nervosa. It describes people who excessively desire a thin body and develop an admiration for anorexia nervosa.
Pro-ana is mostly found among women in their teens to early twenties, who want to have a thin figure and wish to develop anorexia nervosa. Because of this, they typically lack awareness of their problematic behavior and have no intention to seek treatment. If this condition persists, the risk of developing anorexia nervosa is very high, which can lead to hair loss, nutritional deficiencies, tooth decay, and in severe cases, death.
Additionally, there is an opinion that the number of adolescent anorexia nervosa patients may have increased due to social activity disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Kim Yul-ri of the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul Paik Hospital explained, "Anorexia nervosa is a disorder closely related to isolation and disconnection," adding, "School closures, self-quarantine, and restrictions on outdoor activities triggered mental health problems in adolescents, and remote learning disrupted regular eating habits."
Professor Kim emphasized, "Anorexia nervosa is a preventable disorder," and stressed the importance of "providing education on proper media consumption and parents taking an interest in their children's meals." She added, "In adolescents, anorexia nervosa often progresses rapidly once it begins, so early treatment at specialized medical institutions is crucial."
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