Numbers remain high

Anorexia remains a problem even after corona

95 percent of anorexia patients treated as inpatients in Upper Austrian hospitals are girls.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The peak was recorded in the years of the coronavirus pandemic, but anorexia remains an issue in Upper Austria even after that: 230 children and adolescents were treated as inpatients in local hospitals for the eating disorder last year. 95 percent of sufferers are girls.

The fact that corona has also had - and continues to have - an impact on the health of children and adolescents beyond the viral disease can also be seen in the sharp rise in cases of anorexia in Upper Austria. The number of anorexia sufferers receiving inpatient treatment in hospitals increased massively in the coronavirus years of 2020 and 2021. This can be seen in the response to a question from the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) to Health Minister Christine Haberlander (ÖVP) - see chart.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, stock.adobe.com)

But even after the end of the pandemic, the problem remains: At 230 cases, there were significantly more cases last year than before Corona. Strikingly, 95 percent of those infected are girls.

Criticism of incomplete data
However, these figures only provide a rudimentary overview. This is because the information from the hospitals in Haberlander's response to the inquiry is very incomplete. In addition, the figures do not even include those patients who were treated as outpatients. SPÖ health spokesperson Peter Binder criticizes this: "Counselling and therapy services cannot be provided at random."

New care center under discussion
According to Haberlander, however, the state is already reacting to the increased number of anorexia cases: The establishment of a second multidisciplinary care center (MVZ) specializing in eating disorders in children and adolescents is being examined at the Grieskirchen hospital site.