Kids as young as 5 with eating disorders

The number of kids aged 5-13 with eating disorders has doubled in just over 10 years, and it’s having dire consequences on their physical and mental health.

Australian children as young as 5 are being admitted to hospital with eating disorders, new data shows.

The number of kids aged 5-13 with early-onset eating disorders has doubled in just over 10 years, with reports of children avoiding food, being preoccupied with their weight and having a distorted view of their body size.

In a two-year period, 184 boys and girls were diagnosed with eating disorders, at an ­average age of 11. Eighty per cent had anorexia and 64 per cent needed to go to hospital.

Although most of the children were in the higher age range, patients included children from 5 years of age.

The average weight loss was 9kg – up to a third of a healthy 12-year-old’s body weight.

Extreme cases lost up to 30kg and some stayed in hospital for as long as 89 days.

Almost half of those admitted to hospital received nasogastric tubes for feeding, and one third had psychotropic medication.

Research conducted by Sydney Children’s Hospital Network compared the numbers of eating disorders in children in 2009 to 2016-2018.

Younger children with eating disorders are at medical and psychological risk.

“Children continue to present with severe illness, shown by significant weight loss and high rates of medical complications, hospitalisation and psychiatric comorbidities,” said lead author Anne Morris.

Many of the children had displayed symptoms for around eight months, which Dr Morris said “suggests a delay in presentation for treatment and/or delay in recognition by health professionals”.

The children all had food avoidance, with 76 per cent fearing weight gain, 73 per cent having a preoccupation with body weight and 63 per cent a misperception of body size. ­Almost half had very low heart rates and 12 per cent had hypothermia.

Co-author Sloane Madden said it was important medical professionals were aware that eating disorders did occur in young children and were “serious disorders with the same level or even higher levels of risk than in older adolescents”.

She said younger children with eating disorders were at medical and psychological risk.

“Particularly in younger children, medical compromise can happen much more quickly as even small amounts of weight loss can represent a significant proportion of their total body weight,” Professor Madden said.

“Acute medical risks include an inability to maintain a safe heart rate, blood pressure or temperature, necessitating urgent medical intervention.

“Other medical concerns include impacts on bone health, growth and development.

“Psychologically, younger children are at risk from high rates of anxiety and depression, disruption of education, schooling and relationships with friends and family.”

The study showed that half of the children with early onset eating disorders were anxious, and 36 per cent had histories of family psychiatric illness.

Professor Madden noted “significant increases in eating disorders in children and adolescents during the lockdown period (of 2020 and 2021) which mirrored the increase in self-harm presentations in children and adolescents”.

“Interestingly the increases were seen across all Australian states to similar levels including Western Australia which had the shortest lockdown,” she said.