The drama of‘anorexia and of bulimia: the increase in cases of those suffering from eating disorders is outlining the outlines of an emergency. And the protagonists always are youngerwe are getting to an average of 12 and 13 years old. But the existing services are still undersized compared to the need for assistance and treatment paths; in many cases it is not possible to accommodate those under 16. Compared to over 3 million patients in Italy (this figure was reached after a 30% increase in the post-pandemic phase), at a national level there are 180 facilities, with strong regional discrepancies. Lombardy has 17, including national health service facilities and private centres.
Services in Bergamo
In Bergamo, all three local Assts and the Palazzolo Nursing Home; there is a discussion table, coordinated by Atswho sits at the regional control room on eating disorders, where in recent months we have been thinking about how to address the issue of the onset of cases of eating disorders at an increasingly younger age.
«Requests for help are multiplying with increasingly serious situations»
early. «The requests for help are multiplying with increasingly serious situations. And we are aware that demand is exceeding supply, but at a territorial level we are structuring ourselves based on needs – he comments Francesca Piccinini of the Mental Health and Addictions Office of the ATS of Bergamo -. Regional and ministerial funds are arriving to help, with which we are carrying out specific high-level training courses and awareness events for general practitioners and paediatricians. Even in a preventative way, we work with schools and the world of sport which often requires high and sometimes excessive performances.”
The system, however, requires some fine-tuning: currently taking care of patients in very young age groups is complicated. «Under 14 years there are no exclusive services and dedicated – points out the representative of the ATS Office –. The 16-year limit imposed at a regional level for day hospital admissions prevents us from accepting cases with a younger age, so there is a response only in pediatric departments, not in the structure, except for cases of serious emergency. It is one of the points on which the regional table will intervene.”
Since last January at the garrison in the former Matteo Rota from Bergamo The eating disorders clinic is activeAsst Pope John XXIII. It is a multidisciplinary clinic that sees psychiatrists, child neuropsychiatrists, psychologists, dieticians and psychiatric rehabilitation technicians working together. The clinic handles 42 adult patients and 50 minor patients. Analyzing the cases, there is a strong prevalence of females diagnosed with anorexia.
The clinics in the Bergamo area
Young people from 14 to 24 years of age with the onset of eating disorders who reside in one of the 66 municipalities of the Districts of Bergamo and Valle Brembana, Valle Imagna and Villa D’Almè can access the clinic. In 2024, there were 7 admissions to the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit under the age of 14, to be added to the 22 new admissions to the clinic, for a total of 29 admissions under the age of 18. In 2023, in the same Unit, there were 15 new requests under the age of 18, in 2022 there were 7 and in 2021 there were 13. Again in 2024, there were 76 accesses (for a total of 6 patients) to the pediatric Macs (complex outpatient macroactivity) of the Papa Giovanni hospital, for visits for meals, interviews, tests and dietary assessment. And 300 visits (for 37 patients) to day hospitals for children aged 16 and over.
In the clinic dedicated to nutrition and eating disorders of the Bergamo Ovest Asst, based inTreviglio hospitalthe diagnosis between the ages of 14 and 18 is almost
At the dedicated clinic in Treviglio, diagnoses have increased tenfold from 2020 to today
increased tenfold, going from 3 diagnoses in 2020 to 26 in 2024. The clinic offers assessments, screening and therapies with a multidisciplinary approach. Since August 2022 the service has been implemented through an outpatient facility at Brembate Sopra Polyclinic to guarantee a greater offer to the territories of that area given the territorial dispersion of the Bergamo West Asst and the growing demand for care.
Also in the fieldAsst Bergamo East which offers an outpatient service dedicated to the age group of 15 years and over at the Center for Eating Disorders in Piario also spread across other locations
(Gazzaniga and Alzano Lombardo). We are currently treating approximately 135 patients followed by a multidisciplinary team. The residential activity of the Piario Center is not yet operational and requires a second specialist in psychiatry, a difficult specialty to recruit. For children under 15 years of age, an evaluation process and subsequent outpatient treatment is envisaged in the complex Child Neuropsychiatry structure.
The Asst Bergamo Est: the aim is for an integrated team for the pediatric age group
«We are planning a project that involves the professionals of the Piario Center and those of Child Neuropsychiatry with the aim of creating an integrated team to also take care of the pediatric age group – they say from the Bergamo Est territorial social and healthcare company -. The implementation times will not be immediate, but we are aware of the requests and will deploy all the resources available.”
The Growing Crisis of Eating Disorders: A Comedy of Errors?
Well, folks, grab your popcorn! Or, in this case, your kale chips. We’re diving deep into a serious subject:
eating disorders. We’re talking about anorexia and bulimia, two unwanted visitors crashing at the proverbial dinner table, and they’re not leaving anytime soon!
The stats show a staggering uptick in suffering, especially among the young—not the usual party-goers either, we’re talking an average age of
12 to 13! Can you believe it? That’s younger than a few of my worst stand-up gigs!
The State of Affairs: A Comedy of Mismanagement?
The article reveals a stark picture: Italy now has over 3 million patients grappling with these disorders, and guess what? There are only
180 facilities available—a bit like trying to fit an elephant into a Mini Cooper! Lombardy, the shining star of Italian healthcare, flaunts a glamorous
17 facilities. The math is simple: far too many people, far too few resources. It’s like a bad joke that nobody wants to hear!
In Bergamo, local health services are scrambling to deal with the increasing number of cases. Francesca Piccinini from the Mental Health and Addictions Office says
“Requests for help are multiplying with increasingly serious situations.” It’s as if the universe decided to throw a surprise party of
complications and forgot to invite any actual solutions!
Services in Bergamo: Juggling Chainsaws?
Things are a bit messy. Services for children under 14 years old are… well, lacking! Talk about a missed opportunity. Young people already
struggling with their identities are essentially told, “Sorry, you need to be a teen before we can help!” If I were a kid, I’d be asking for the manager by now!
There’s a clinic that’s trying its best, I assure you. The
Asst Pope John XXIII is working hard with a multidisciplinary team to help tackle the disarray and handle the incoming wave of patients.
So far, they’ve seen 42 adult and 50 minor patients. But it’s clear they need more than just the usual ‘cross your fingers and hope for the best’ approach.
The Numbers Game: A Tenfold Increase!
The Treviglio clinic, an essential cog in this chaotic machine, witnessed diagnoses skyrocket tenfold from 3 in 2020 to a whopping 26 in 2024! That sounds like the
statistics of a tragedy—except here, it’s a tragedy dressed in a lab coat, trying to keep the madness at bay!
All this while, the Center for Eating Disorders is doing what it can, treating around 135 patients despite the bureaucratic red tape.
It’s like trying to drive a Ferrari on a cobblestone street!
The Asst Bergamo Est: the aim is for an integrated team for the pediatric age group
And there’s talk of plans to create integrated teams to better serve these younger patients, but let’s be honest, the goal is about as realistic as my dream
of performing at the Royal Variety Show! The path is set, but the execution? Well, that requires some heavyweight lifting—a bit like trying to lift your cousin Frank after he’s had one too many!
Final Thoughts: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire?
It’s a glaring wake-up call, isn’t it? We have an emerging mental health crisis right in front of us, and while a lot is being said, much still needs to be done.
The stakes are high, and if we don’t act, it’s like watching a car crash in slow motion—painful and horrifying! So, let’s get behind those who are providing care,
raise awareness, and funding, and for heaven’s sake, let’s make sure that our young ones get the help they need before they’re stuck juggling their own issues!
And remember, laughter may be the best medicine, but when it comes to mental health, let’s make sure we have some real healthcare on hand too!
