Eating disorders, whether anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, affect nearly one million people in France. Psychiatrist in the department of psychological medicine for children and adolescents (MPEA) of the CHU of Montpellier, doctor Stéphanie Legras raises awareness of constantly progressing disorders, which are the subject of an international day on June 2. With a webinar reserved for professionals and a meeting for the general public in the evening.
Just a year ago, Dr. Stéphanie Legras, psychiatrist in the Psychological Medicine Unit for Children and Adolescents (MPEA) at the Montpellier University Hospital, sounded the alarm on the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of eating disorders (TCA): the health crisis had caused consultations to explode by 30%.
As the seventh international day of the CAW looms (1), the problem has not really changed, “people who are more vulnerable are more fragile”. Today, nearly a million people in France suffer from anorexia, bulimia or bulimic binge, and “more than half of them are not screened and do not have access to care”.
“The oldest picture of anorexia dates back to the Middle Ages with Catherine of Siena”
“After the post-Covid tidal wave, demand remains strong”observes Dr. Legras, who recalls that “several years of support” are often necessary, and that EDs bring together more different pathologies than the common term eating disorders suggests, even if all have the particularity “compulsive behavior” and mostly affect women or girls. Anorexia is the “a rarer pathology” but also “the harshest”. Binge eating disorder is “most frequent”.
Stéphanie Legras, who follows children and adolescents under 16, reminds us that we must “one year of stabilized weight” to lighten the follow-up of an anorexic person. She sees today “more severe and more frequent forms”in sometimes very young children “8 years or 9 years”. Bulimia and binge eating disorder, which is distinguished from bulimia by “a lack of overweight compensation strategy”, tend to occur in adulthood, even in seniors.
The environment, emotions, have a direct influence on behavior, Dr. Legras makes a direct link with the injunctions of our modern societies which impose an ideal silhouette: “Bulimia appeared in the 50s and 60s, with television and the beginning of the image society, it is a disease of civilization. Anorexia has always existed, the oldest picture dates back to the Middle Ages , with Catherine de Sienne (2). It is estimated that this pathology is linked for 70% to genetic vulnerability, 20% to family causes, 10% to environmental causes”.
A practical tip: “The earlier we intervene, the more likely we are to be effective”and do not hesitate to alert the professionals on the front line, a general practitioner, a school nurse. “There are no dumb questions”. It is then up to them to refer to more specialized units and psychologists.