Italy Launches Three-Year Campaign to Address Rising Youth Eating Disorder Crisis

The Republic of Italy is confronting a significant public health emergency concerning Eating and Nutritional Disorders (DNA), which include conditions such as anorexia, bulimia, and orthorexia, currently affecting an estimated three million individuals nationwide. This situation is marked by an escalation in incidence rates among young females, specifically within the 12 to 24 age demographic, a trend that became more pronounced following the recent global pandemic.

In response to this escalating mental health challenge, the Ministry of Health has formally inaugurated a comprehensive, three-year national communication strategy dedicated to primary and secondary prevention efforts targeting these disorders. This extensive outreach initiative is designed to leverage the broad reach of traditional media, including television and radio broadcasts, alongside a robust presence on social media platforms to effectively engage adolescents and their immediate family units. Prior studies in Italy have indicated that anorexia and bulimia are among the leading causes of death for Italian teenagers and young adults, with the average age of onset historically cited around 12 years old.

Central to the government's strategy is the emphasis on early identification and intervention within educational settings, a crucial vector for reaching the affected demographic. Authorities have planned outreach activities involving direct participation in key educational gatherings, such as the 'Didacta' event, which serves as a major meeting point for educators across all levels of schooling in Italy. Research from a residential center in Salerno noted that the post-pandemic cohort of patients admitted for EDs was significantly younger, with a mean age of 18.3 years compared to 20.6 years pre-COVID, and demonstrated a higher rate of severe comorbidities. Furthermore, a retrospective study analyzing pediatric patients at Rome's Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital between August 2019 and April 2021 found that 80.3% of patients were at the onset of their eating disorders during the pandemic period.

To provide a centralized, proactive framework for addressing this crisis, the government is moving forward with plans to establish a dedicated national prevention Hub. This entity is intended to serve as an inter-institutional platform for strengthening governance and project capacity in prevention, promoting integrated approaches founded on scientific evidence. This structural development aligns with ongoing efforts, such as the mapping of territorial treatment centers for nutrition and food disorders, which the Istituto Superiore di Sanità has been undertaking since at least January 2022. The establishment of this Hub signifies a commitment to systemic, data-driven management of this complex public health challenge.