They are only eight or nine years old, but they already know the obsession with weight and the mirror.early anorexia It is a dramatically growing phenomenon that is redrawing the face of eating disorders in our country. The numbers that arrive byGeneral Pediatric Bambino Gesù in Rome they are terrifying: +64% annual diagnoses compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic. We are not talking about teenagers, mind you, but about children who should be thinking about playing and instead hide food, cut foods meticulously or avoid entire nutritional groups, already showing all the signs of a disorder that can have devastating consequences.
Early anorexia and other disorders: the numbers of a health crisis that affects more and more young people
It strikes me how this phenomenon is literally decreasing in age. In Italy approximately 3,5 million people suffer from nutrition and eating disorders (DNA): this is 6% of the population. If once these pathologies manifested themselves mainly in adolescence, today the age of onset has drastically lowered to 8-9 years.
The Anorexia and Eating Disorders Operational Unit of Bambino Gesù has seen a 38% increase in clinical activity since 2020, with day hospitals increasing from 1.820 to 2.420 in 2024. Particularly worrying the increase in new admissions among the younger age groups (10 years and 11-13 years): +50% compared to 2019.
Eating disorders among psychiatric pathologies have the highest mortality rate. In the case of anorexia nervosa, the risk of death is 5-10 times higher than in healthy people of the same age and sex.
The causes of early anorexia: between early puberty and unattainable models
What is pushing younger and younger children towards early anorexia? Experts point to two main factors:lowering of pubertal age in girls andinfluence of social networks.
This last aspect is particularly relevant: Social media platforms expose young people to a bombardment of images of “perfect” and unattainable bodies, fueling insecurities in children who do not yet have the tools to defend themselves from these toxic messages. If we add to this a social context that overvalues physical appearance, the picture becomes even more complex.
The signs not to be underestimated
During this Purple Ribbon Week, dedicated to raising awareness of eating disorders, it is essential to remember the signs that should never be ignored: children who eat in secret or hide food; show changes in eating habits (cutting food into small pieces or moving it around on the plate); skip meals; become obsessive in preparing food and avoid entire groups of foods. Other indirect signs can be: locking oneself in the bathroom after meals, showing fluctuations in mood and sleep disturbances, suddenly increasing physical activity.
The complexity of treatment and the importance of early diagnosis
Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a multidisciplinary approach involving psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychologists, dieticians, and internal medicine specialists. Both anorexia and bulimia can cause serious medical complications if not treated promptly.
The mortality data is particularly alarming: in Italy, Eating and nutrition disorders cause approximately 4.000 deaths each year. This is a real health emergency that requires greater collective awareness and targeted interventions, especially in an era in which patients are increasingly young and vulnerable. We need to strengthen support services, raise awareness in schools and families, and promote a culture of body acceptance that counters the idealization of unattainable physical models, especially on social media that so influence our children. We will make it, or are we too “distracted” by the “disorders” of us adults?
