Hospital admissions for eating disorders increased 50 percent during the Covid-19 lockdowns

Auckland University research has found the spike was countrywide, largely driven by anorexia diagnoses in girls aged 10 to 19.

Academic Psychiatrist David Menkes says eating disorders are about control and get worse during times of social stress.

He says the lockdowns created lots of situations like that.

Menkes says people were prevented from seeing who they wanted to, and in some cases, were stuck with people they didn't want to be with.