Costs associated with youth eating disorders reached $39.5 million during COVID pandemic, study suggests – CTV

April 30, 2024

Researchers at Ottawa’s CHEO Research Lab are calling for a national surveillance strategy on eating disorders in Canada, as new statistics show a rise in the social and economic costs associated with the issue in children and youth.

The Deloitte Access Economics report says the incremental cost impact of children and youth with eating disorders reached $39.5 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, led by the CHEO Research Institute, states the dollar figure is a “vast underestimate” of the true cost of eating disorders in Canada.

“This research highlights the urgent need to develop a robust surveillance system for eating disorders in Canada to ensure we are adequately capturing shifting needs in services and costs so that we can better manage eating disorder care,” Dr. Nicole Obeid, scientist and lead of the Eating Disorders Lab at the CHEO Research Institute, said in a statement.

Read more: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/costs-associated-with-youth-eating-disorders-reached-39-5-million-during-covid-pandemic-study-suggests-1.6867257