The Eating Disorder Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador calls recent statistics released by CIHI “startling” and “alarming”.

The latest data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that hospitalizations for eating disorders among girls aged 10 to 17 increased by nearly 60 per cent since March of 2020. The rate of hospitalization for children for eating disorders is about 30 per 100,000 in this province compared with 20 per 100,000 nationally—an increase of roughly 30 per cent over pre-pandemic levels.

The Executive Director of the Eating Disorder Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Paul Thomey, says what they’ve seen over the past two years lines up with CIHI’s findings.

He says they’ve seen unprecedented growth in the number of people presenting to the Janeway and the HOPE program. He says the waiting lists for their programs and the Janeway are startling,

He says in the youth programs, there are people waiting upwards of a year to see dieticians and psychologists.