ST. LOUIS — "It's something that is so lonely and so isolating," Lexi Kay tells 5 On Your Side. "Lonely" and "isolating" aren't words Kay is using to describe pandemic lockdowns or virtual meetings, she is describing what it feels like to have an eating disorder.
Lexi Kay has struggled with her eating disorder over the past nine years. In 2020, she found herself needing immediate treatment.
"I called many different treatment centers while in the pandemic, it seemed like waitlists were 8, 10,12 weeks long."
Demand for adult care and child care, specifically for eating disorders, skyrocketed when COVID-19 hit the US.
"Sadly we've seen a huge rise in the cases of eating disorders and the St Louis area," explains Dr. Laura Bumberry, a psychologist. "Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and isolation and the pandemic was kind of a perfect setup for that."
Dr. Laura Bumberry is one of a few clinical psychologists who specialize in treating children and adults with eating disorders. The influx in cases has hit the niche industry especially hard.
"The rate in which we are seeing people reaching out for help is the highest I've ever experienced it and it still is," Certified Eating Disorder Dietitian Lori Adams said.
With outpatient and residential treatment waitlists growing, hospitals are picking up the slack, taking in more critical eating disorder cases, especially pediatric patients.
"Kids are coming in sicker," Dr. Bumberry tells 5 On Your Side, "because sometimes they haven't seen their pediatrician throughout the pandemic or they just aren't around the people who might catch it sooner."
The Missouri Eating Disorder Association has insurance, treatment and support resources available.
5 On Your Side's Tracy Hinson is hosting the 8th Annual Missouri Eating Disorder Association Benefit Gala Saturday night. The gala is a hybrid event, offering in-person and virtual tickets. This year the association is raising funds to start free therapist-guided support groups.
For parents, Dr. Laura Bumberry recommends the book "When Your Teen Has An Eating Disorder" by Lauren Mulheim.
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