Bad Economy Spurs Eating Disorders

As the economy is going down, patients with eating disorders are going up for two clinics in Minnesota.

According to Twin Cities, the patient load at Park Nicollet’s Melrose Institute/St. Louis has increased by 36 percent from one year ago, while the patient load at The Emily Program/St. Paul has increased by 20 percent for the same time period.

Experts believe that this increase has more than a little to do with the recent downturn in the economy.

Eating disorders are often spurred by anxiety, says Jillian Croll of The Emily Program, and this bad economy is certainly causing a lot of anxiety.

But Joel Jahraus, of the Melrose Institute, has another fear. He told Twin Cities that this bad economy may not only cause, but advance, eating disorders. For instance, he says, people who suffer from an obsession with their weight, but who exercise to control weight gain rather than starve themselves, may no longer be able to afford their gym memberships. In that case, Jahraus says, they may decide to limit their food intakes, which can lead to eating disorders.

Statistics indicate that there are an estimated 10 million sufferers of eating disorders in the United States.