New anorexia cases in minors rose 60% from the previous year in fiscal 2020, a recent survey by the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo has found.
The center cited stress and anxiety stemming from the coronavirus crisis as possible contributing factors behind the increase.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder involving severely restricted food intake. An estimated 13,000 patients nationwide suffer from the disorder, which disproportionally afflicts teenage girls.
In a survey of 26 medical institutions conducted between April and June, the center found 258 minors (230 females and 28 males) were diagnosed with anorexia in fiscal 2020, a 60% increase from 158 (141 females and 17 males) the previous year.
The number of patients under age 20 hospitalized for anorexia also rose, to 141 (132 females and 9 males) in fiscal 2020, up 40% from 99 (93 females and 6 males) the previous year.
"We hope that families and schools will more closely monitor children's appetites and weight loss so that they can receive medical care before the situation becomes serious," the center said. "Also, there need to be more medical institutions able to treat eating disorders."
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