As the numbers of teens in Tulsa with eating disorders rises, health officials and clinicians say
that the resources are woefully inadequate to address it.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to know if someone has an eating disorder. National statistics show
that about a fifth of teenagers suffer from disordered eating, which can range from bulimia to
binge-eating, but only 20 percent of those individuals actually seek treatment. Health experts and
professionals emphasize that eating disorders can be fatal and even deadly if not treated. In Tulsa,
resources are extremely inadequate and most teens go untreated, local health officials and medical experts say.
Eating disorders arise from a variety of factors, including mental health and societal factors, such
as the impact social media has on body image and dysmorphia, a mental condition that involves excessive worrying about body shape or size. One expert, Dr. Gracie Evans, says the isolation that emerged from the COVID pandemic contributed to the rise in cases in Tulsa in recent years.
You may be wondering, what is an eating disorder and what causes it? According to the National Institute
of Mental Health, an eating disorder is a serious and possibly fatal illness that is associated with “severe
disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.” Dr. Evans emphasizes that
patients with eating disorders are “perpetuated by a genetic wiring for anxiety and depression.”
Danielle Marchell, director of public relations at Equip Health, says that eating disorders are
known for “tyrannizing the brain”, which many teens have experienced, including a graduate this
year of Union High School who plans to attend a 4-year university this fall.
“I struggle with anxiety and depression,” the teenager says. “My eating disorder has been incredibly
difficult to manage because it feels uncontrollable due to my other mental illnesses. I wish that I did not
have to constantly think about it, which also makes my anxiety and depression even worse. The factors
that contributed the most to the development of my eating disorders were my body dysmorphia, the
fashion industry, and also social media and societal standards. I feel like everywhere I look, a low body
weight is glorified.”
Another individual who graduated in 2018 and suffered with an eating disorder as a teen had a similar
experience. “I have ADHD, anxiety, and depression. I believe that these also contributed to the severity of
my disorder. I think there are a lot of factors that caused and contributed to my eating disorder. I had very strict dietary restrictions, and also some societal factors. I had a terrible image of my body and wanted to be skinny from a young age.”
Contributing to the crisis is the need for coordinated care, both physically and mentally that the
treatment of eating disorders often requires. Having a support system that comforts instead of judges is
vital for a successful recovery. Dr. Evans says that good support systems should “listen and ask questions. Supporting people can be helpful even if they themselves have not struggled in this way. Be available to support, have a meal or snack with their loved one or offer to increase knowledge around eating disorders.”
Doctors advise teens with eating disorders to take a weight neutral approach that focuses on
health instead of size, and recommend each sufferer have a support system with a caring, yet direct
approach for the best results. Teenagers need someone who they can talk to truthfully, and someone
who they could be honest with. One person who provided support for a sister and a friend to help
them through an eating disorder says: “I think understanding that the people around you are not
in a seat of judgment but genuinely wanting to see you do better, be more vulnerable and honest.
It’s hard, but it helps [that] the support systems have any sort of progress checks or just any
ability to truly support.”
The Union graduate emphasizes that at the time of her disordered eating, she needed this
coordinated care of a support system when she was struggling. “I wish I had a support system who was
not mad at me for my illness. A lot of the time, they would be upset with me rather than
comforting, and it felt like everything was forced. When I was forced to eat, it made me not want
to eat more, which was counterproductive. When they would constantly be mad at me for ‘doing
this to myself’, it did not make me want to fix my issues.”
She also reiterates the idea that the most helpful strategy for her was to “have someone
that is supportive and not so pressuring on what I should be doing with my own body. When it
feels forced and when I feel like people are mad at me for it, it makes me not want to fix the
problem.”
Health officials acknowledge the deficits in care for what current statistics suggest could be
around 28,000 untreated Tulsa adolescents. Tulsa in particular has struggled to support individuals
especially in providing low cost treatment. Reggie Ivey, associate director of the Tulsa Health
Department, acknowledges that the health department does not have any programs that address
eating disorders and refers patients to other health care providers. “The health department can
not focus on everything,” says Ivey.
According to the National Library of Medicine, not only are there minimal resources
(only 73 cents per impacted individual), but professional eating disorder treatment is very costly.
Faith Crittenden, vice president of the Children’s Mental Health at Family and Children’s
Services in Tulsa, says that Oklahoma is “extremely under-resourced for clients with Medicaid or
no insurance at all in terms of disordered eating.”
While many professionals recommend an integrated team approach, this professional
help is too costly, ranging on average about $300 to $2000 per day and outpatient care providers
frequently do not take insurance, according to Danielle Marchell, director of public relations at
Equip Health. It is too expensive to get treatment at the minimal places offered within Tulsa,
which leaves many patients and families to forgo treatment altogether.
Landscapes of What Is Available in Tulsa:
If eating disorders go untreated or are prolonged, severe health risks, health problems, and effects can
develop.. Untreated eating disorders will ultimately ruin the health of an individual’s body and organs.
Every 52 minutes, a person dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder due to the
complications that they cause, according to national statistics. Those complications include
malnourishment, emotional dysregulation, heart disease and failure, muscle and nerve damage,
acid reflux, gum disease, and more.
“I felt weak all of the time, my energy was low, I got annoyed easier, I slept a lot more, I had
less motivation, I had joint pain, and you could see my spine and ribs,” says the Union graduate.
“My body changed, but many of the changes made me feel even more self conscious. It affected
my day to day life where I could not enjoy normal teenager activities anymore.”
Another survivor states that she was also “super tired” all the time, but she also experienced
having really “bad breath and much thinner hair.”
Teens with disordered eating are at a higher risk for suicide than the general population. They
have the 2nd highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opiate addiction. Eating
disorders have long term effects, meaning it is important to seek help as fast as possible.
RED FLAGS SECTION (BOX)
Danielle Marchell, Director of PR at Equip Health, states that “It is impossible to know if
someone has an eating disorder based on their appearance, and they can affect all types of people
regardless of age, gender, body shape, race, sexuality, or income. Secondly, eating disorders are
not a vanity issue or a choice. They manifest differently from person to person and are rooted in
complex biological, psychological, and social factors.” Here are some warning signs and red
flags that support systems can look out for if you believe a loved one may be suffering from an
eating disorder.
HOW TO BE A BETTER SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING (BOX)
