Former 'Emmerdale' star Gemma Oaten has been inundated with messages from concerned mothers worried about their children's eating disorders during lockdown.
Gemma Oaten
The 36-year-old actress has spoken candidly in the past about her childhood battle with anorexia, and she revealed how difficult the coronavirus pandemic is for people going through the same thing.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper's Fabulous magazine, she said: "It breaks my heart.
"I'm getting so many messages on Instagram or Facebook from mums who are begging for help because their daughter's anorexia has spiralled since the start of lockdown.
"I spoke to a lady whose daughter has since been hospitalised and is being drip-fed. Where's the help?"
Gemma has previously revealed how she was 24 hours from death at the age of 12 because of the disorder, and just six years later she suffered a heart attack.
Now, the soap star - who is a patron for her parents' eating disorder support charity SEED - insisted the system needs to improve and offer better care for those in need.
She added: "The system, in my eyes, is not good enough. There's not enough eating disorder units, there's not enough understanding among GPs of what the disorder really is. Early intervention is key and it's still not happening. And that was before lockdown.
"For people with an eating disorder, being in lockdown with family is excruciating as you're watched all the time. Then there's the stress of food shopping, with people looking at each other's baskets.
"I understand people have lost their lives from Covid-19, but there are also the long-term effects on those who haven't got coronavirus but will potentially lose their lives because of their mental health."
Gemma has been in recovery from her anorexia for 13 years, and each day she takes a tablet to help her bladder - which was weakened by a bowel relapse - as well as medication for damage caused to her stomach, and laxatives to relieve pressure on her bowel.
She added: "At 36, these aren't pleasant things to say, but if that helps people see these are the long-term effects, it's worth it."
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