The Effects of Lockdown on the Perception of our own Bodies

When the pandemic hit in the spring of last year, everybody was in a stage of immense shock. Many of us had nothing to do except sit in bed and scroll through social media. Screentime usage among children and teens skyrocketed to double what it was before, and some people were spending upwards of 10 hours per day on their devices. This shift was unavoidable since work and school had to be completed entirely online. There were some upsides to the rise of social media usage, like how people were connecting with their families despite not making any physical contact. However, since we were on our devices all the time, more people started to compare themselves to modeals online, which is harmful one's self-esteem. In the media, there have been echoes of the pandemic being the perfect time for self-improvement, therefore more pressure to undergo a "glow up" by the time we get out. The issue is that many people solely equate self-improvement to losing weight. But in reality, self-improvement may be as simple as learning a new language or achieving a high level on an online game; weight loss isn't the only variable in life.

With the gyms closed down and many of us abandoning our regular walk to school, the drop in physical exercise certainly did not help. Plenty of people found it hard to carry out their everyday exercise routines in small living spaces, while others turned to eliminating exercise entirely.

Stuck at home doing nothing, some individuals turned to stress eating to deal with the new normal. Boredom eating was also very prevalent because people hungered to fill the newly created gaps in their daily lives. Despite portrayal in popular culture, frequent binge eating is also an eating disorder that needs to be taken more seriously. It results in rapid weight gain, which can be a significant source of stress for many people. Furthermore, constant stress from binge eating creates the ideal environment for it to continue, making it hard to stop the unhealthy cycle. This is where body image issues come into play; binge eaters typically feel guilty and shameful after a binge session. Therefore, they may turn to purging or strict eating restrictions afterwards.

A survey in the US showed that 61% of people experienced undesired weight changes since the start of the pandemic. For example, women aspired to be slimmer, while males aspired to be more muscular. This heightened anxiety can segue into eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and intense dieting. Unfortunately, it is more challenging to get the appropriate treatment if someone has an eating disorder because family and friends aren't around to notice the deterioration in health. In addition, treatment can be limited, as clinics and hospitals impose stricter restrictions to keep their current patients safe from covid. However, there has been a 25% increase in adolescent eating disorder patients since March 2020, according to an analysis of medical data from 80 hospitals. People who are too afraid or unable to seek treatment turn to the National Eating Disorder Association hotline, which has reported a 40% spike in call traffic during the pandemic.

So what can you do if you are struggling with your body image because of lockdown? The first step is to acknowledge that you have gained weight and accept that it is not necessarily bad. Many models on social media are underweight and unhealthy despite having visible abs and toned muscle. Secondly, realize that you are not alone and that a significant amount of people gained weight throughout lockdown as well. Popular culture brainwashes us to think that super skinny people are normal, but everybody has at least a little chub if you look around in the real world. Ask your friends and family; many of them will likely understand your pandemic weight gain and chip in with their own experiences. At the end of the day, your body will be with you for the rest of your life, and accepting that you'll never be perfect is the only way to genuinely be satisfied with yourself.

This article was written by Layla Wu, the writing director for @a.dailydoseofeverything on Instagram. A Daily Dose of Everything is a platform meant to educate gen z on current events and social justice issues that can have an effect on the mental health of our population. Our team is passionate on the route to inform, educate and involve young people in current events of our world. We cover a wide range of topics such as activism, gender inequality, racism, mental health for highschoolers, and so on. Check out our website at https://sites.google.com/view/wwwadailydoseofeverythingcom/home where we post easily accessible resources and self-care playlists!

Citations

Haseltine, William A. “How the Pandemic Is Fueling Eating Disorders in Young People.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 27 Aug. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/08/27/how-the-pandemic-is-fueling-eating-disorders-in-young-people/?sh=7a9754b22226.

Gavin, Mary. “Binge Eating Disorder (for Teens) - Nemours Kidshealth.” TeensHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Jan. 2021, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/binge-eating.html.

Limam, Arij. “The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Body Image Issues.” CGTN, 8 Oct. 2020, https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-08/The-impact-of-COVID-19-lockdowns-on-body-image-issues-Uqrvjy93Da/index.html.

Mind Body Green. “Body Image Issues Are On The Rise Amid COVID-19, Study Finds.” Eating Recovery Center, New Org, 24 Oct. 2019, https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/article/pandemic-body-image.

Tylka, Tracy. “8 Ways to Manage Body Image Anxiety after Lockdown.” The Conversation, Academic Journalism Society, 14 June 2021, https://theconversation.com/8-ways-to-manage-body-image-anxiety-after-lockdown-162224.

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Article Q&A

For people experiencing binge eating, what advice do you have? Is there any way to break a binge?

Binge eating is a difficult habit to break; many individuals believe that the best thing to do after a binge is to restrict, but that is simply untrue. Restriction causes physical and psychological exhaustion, which would make you tempted to overeat again. After a binge session, the best thing to do is to go about your ordinary life and eat a lot of fibres in your meals to avoid another one. In addition, NEVER forget to eat breakfast. A frequent pattern for binge eaters is skipping breakfast, having a light lunch, and then overeating in the afternoon because they are so hungry. Finally, be mindful of your emotional triggers, like stress or boredom, and use them as early warning signs of a binge. When you are hyper-aware that you are about to go on a food marathon, it is much easier to stop it before it begins. Try out meditation, yoga and exercise to cope with your emotional triggers. Breaking the binge cycle is a slow and difficult process that requires tremendous discipline, but it is not impossible.

As you mentioned, women and men experienced different body aspirations during the lockdowns, with women wanting to be slimmer and men more muscular. How else do the experiences of men and women differ when it comes to eating disorders? And why do men seem to be less reluctant to seek help for their eating disorders?

Men and women have quite different experiences when it comes to eating disorders. The images we see in the media are typically of young women who are incredibly thin, but EDs do not discriminate in the real world. For instance, males are much less likely to seek mental health assistance if they have problems with their body image. Because of this, many of their cases go undetected, causing society to assume that only women suffer from eating disorders. This is because of the stigma behind EDs in men. For example, both genders can be affected by anorexia but it’s seen as an illness for girls rather than boys. To put it simply, men are afraid that others would question their masculinity; therefore, they choose not to seek treatment for eating disorders. Furthermore, men are more likely than women to suffer from depression on top of their eating disorder, and they are treated less seriously because of the stigma surrounding it. The reason for the added depression may be related to trying to internalize their issues to avoid ridicule.

What is your advice for someone who is still trying to recover from the damaging effects of the pandemic on their body?

My advice is to know that you are not alone. Most people have gained weight over quarantine, and it is entirely normal to do so over your life. If you are unhappy with your weight gain, there is no shame in losing that weight by healthy means. Just be aware of when to stop; people tend to go overboard with diets and exercise, leading to damaging effects such as burnout and disordered eating. Never deny your body of food when it is hungry because that will damage your metabolism and make you unhealthy in the long run. All in all, your body will be there for your entire life, and you should take care of it no matter what.

Citations:

Striegel-Moore, Ruth H., et al. “Gender Difference in the Prevalence of Eating Disorder Symptoms.”

The International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 42, no. 5, July 2009, pp. 471–74,

doi:10.1002/eat.20625.

American Psychiatric Association. “Eating Disorders: Differences in Young Men and Women.”

American Psychiatric Association, 14 May 2016,

https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/eating-disorders-differences-in-young-men-and-women.

Johnson, Sarah. “Why Don’t Men Seek Help for Eating Disorders?” The Guardian, 11 Oct. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2017/oct/11/eating-disorder-men-bulimia-anorexia-mental-health.