Warning: Story is about eating disorders and eating disorders.
The number of Kiwis with eating disorders has skyrocketed over the past five years.
Figures obtained by Checkpoint show that hospitalizations for eating disorders have increased by 75 percent since 2017.
With eating disorders registering some of the highest death rates of all mental illnesses, advocates are calling for urgent support and a full service overhaul.
New Zealand’s first lockdown was tough for many of us, but for Rebecca Toms it was made worse when it triggered her daughter’s first eating disorder.
But it would be almost two years before she got the help she needed.
It took months and countless appointments to get an official diagnosis.
That was just the beginning.
“There are long waiting lists,” Toms said.
“It’s very expensive — especially if you get kicked out of the public system like we were because she wasn’t considered sick enough. For someone with an eating disorder — when they’re told that, it has such a negative impact on them.”
The problem is widespread among young teenagers.
Figures show a 168 percent increase in hospitalizations for 10- to 14-year-olds over the past five years.
Despite this, Rebecca said the disease was often downplayed.
“People assume that an eating disorder is just someone who wants to lose weight. All they have to do is eat…there’s so much fear around food. They can’t eat.”
In desperation, they sought help from an expert in New York, with online appointments.
“It’s very life-threatening. If you really recognize that you need that support urgently. If you can’t afford private care, you’re at the mercy of the public system, and that’s scary.”
They weren’t alone.
“She said it’s $1200 and I thought it’s a month, she said no, that’s $1200 a day, I said, ‘Look, I just can’t afford that, like if that were US dollars too.
“A week later I called her back, I said ‘I’m going to die if I keep going like this’, I said ‘I have enough money for six weeks’.”
Kristie Amadio lived with an eating disorder for 14 years and after treatment in Australia and New Zealand, she turned to the US for help.
She is now a trained therapist and leads the Recovered Living group in Christchurch, which plans to open a residential facility early next year.
While acknowledging that hospitals played an important role in treating patients, she said successful overseas programs should be emulated here.
“In hospitals, you get a tray that you eat on, in your bed and it’s so removed … so being able to do a treatment in a home environment where we were involved in grocery shopping, preparing the meal and the clean up.”
Figures also showed a 49 percent increase in hospital admissions in the past two years after the pandemic.
Nicki Wilson, the chairman of the Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand (EDANZ), said the helpline was overrun and demand was rising after the lockdown.
“People have huge problems getting a diagnosis, accessing treatment. People wait more than six months and more, it’s really terrible.”
In addition to the $15.5 million spent on services each year, this year’s budget has allocated $3.9 million in funding over four years.
But EDANZ is now calling for a complete overhaul of treatments for eating disorders, to ensure funding is being spent in the right areas.
“Without that, it’s unlikely we’ll see any real improvement in access to services. We’re concerned that our health system is being pushed past the breaking point at this point,” Wilson said.
In a statement, Associated Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said the additional funding would help increase the capacity of the services.
A Te Whatu Ora spokesperson said the $3.9 million is expected to support an additional 200 people per year to access services by the end of 2025/2026.
Where to get help:
- Need to talk? Call or text 1737 toll free at any time to speak with a trained counselor for any reason.
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
- EDANZ: Find support, information and treatment options online at ed.org.nz, call the helpline 0800 2 EDANZ / 0800 2 33269, complete the contact form or email [email protected]
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or who are concerned about family or friends.
- Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
- Youth line: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text message 234 (8am-12pm), or email [email protected]
- What’s Up: online chat (15:00-22:00) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12:00-22:00 weekdays, 15:00-23:00 weekends)
- Children’s line (5-18 years): 0800 543 754 (24/7)
- Healthline: 0800 611 116
- Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
If it is an emergency and you think you or someone else is in danger, call 111.