Home » Dalla Reason: “Boom in cases of anorexia and bulimia but the centers for therapy have decreased”

Dalla Reason: “Boom in cases of anorexia and bulimia but the centers for therapy have decreased”

by admin
Dalla Reason: “Boom in cases of anorexia and bulimia but the centers for therapy have decreased”

Lives in ‘hostage’ to weight and scales. There are those who binge until they vomit and those who refuse food or hide it. Nutrition becomes an obsession out of fear of others, of the world and of a reality that cannot be controlled. “With the pandemic, eating disorders have exploded, increasing by 30%, affecting children of less and less age. In 90% of cases they are female, but the centers to ask for help in the area are lacking and in trouble”, she explains. Laura Dalla Ragionepsychiatrist and psychotherapist, director of the Eating Disorders Network Usl Umbria 1 and professor at Campus Biomedico in Rome.

We speak of an emergency for many boys and girls. Dalla Ragione, he founded the Network for eating disorders of the USL 1 of Umbria and is among the five winners of the second edition of the ‘De Sanctis Award for Social Health‘.

Professor Dalla Ragione, the data are worrying?
“With the pandemic, the cases to be treated have grown by 30% and are destined to grow. Today we meet patients who tell us they got sick in 2020. At this time the affected range has widened considerably, with early onset of children aged 8- 9 years old and 40-50 year old adults who fall ill for the first time. In a certain sense, these are new forms of depression that can affect everyone, regardless of the social and cultural level “.

Patients are increasing, but are there enough centers to cure themselves?
“They decreased. They were 164 before Covid and today 115 are because many facilities have been closed. A serious problem because access to the emergency room has increased by 30%. There are those who have problems because they eat too much, who are completely undernourished. and those who try to take their own life. Specialized care is needed with multidisciplinary teams to follow the patient. Alongside the psychiatrist, there must be a psychotherapist, a nutritionist and an endocrinologist. Fortunately, a fund has been allocated to the Ministry of Health for the contrast of nutrition and eating disorders, with an endowment of 25 million euros, spread over two years 2022 and 2023. They will be used, in collaboration with family associations, to create a network of clinics especially in Regions that do not have structures ” .

See also  Rheumatological diseases: patients waiting for a diagnosis even for seven years

“Anorexia seemed ‘a safe haven’ but it was taking away my identity”


You have been involved in DCA for several years. What has changed?
“Today even males get sick while up to ten years ago they were free, now in the adolescent range they are 20%, probably in 10 years it will no longer be a gender disorder. Between 2020 and 2021, access to local care facilities and hospitalization of the boys has increased by 4 times. The reason for this interest in the male world is connected to the change in the relationship with the body of the boys, even for them the body has become a reason for discomfort “.

Can the kids get help?
“Generally, it is more difficult for males to come out and get help, because these are considered female diseases. Many suffer from vigorexia, a form of dysmorphophobia, characterized by a constant obsession with muscle tone and training. Often the disorder food is accompanied by social withdrawal, they become ‘hikikomori’, a Japanese term that means “to stay on the sidelines”. You decide to withdraw from social life for long periods, sometimes years “.

There has been a lot of talk about miscommunication, especially online.
“Those who are sick are often not aware that they have a problem because communication, in general, tends to normalize extreme thinness, which becomes a widespread and winning model, accepted, in fact, as normal and which unfortunately is the parameter on the basis of which kids are judged “.

Eating disorders, such as intercepting the first signs in children

See also  Niger: 'We cannot welcome Ecowas delegation'

by Fabio Di Todaro


You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy