Last year alone, more than 240 people had inpatient admissions in acute hospitals across Ireland due to eating disorders.
And research tells us this number is rising, particularly among adolescents.
In fact, most hospital admissions with eating disorders last year were related to anorexia, with children and young adults being the most affected group. Anorexia has the highest death rate of all mental health disorders.
According to figures released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act show that out of the 241 people that were admitted to hospital last year due to an eating disorder 88 percent were female, and 133 of the admissions related to children.
Harriet Parsons from Bodywhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, explains to Newstalk that anorexia is a big problem among children.
“Up until a couple of years ago, the average age of onset would have been around 15-24,” Parsons explain.
“That age has come down now, so the average age of onset for anorexia would be 13-18, and the same for bulimia. What that means more people are developing eating disorders, and they’re becoming younger at the point where they develop the eating disorders.”
The HSE says it aims to establish 16 community-based eating disorder teams across the country to deal with the problem.
