For years to come, there will be many conclusions about how the pandemic impacted our mental health. But already, doctors know eating disorders were made worse by the pandemic.A recent journal of the American Medical Association study concluded the pandemic promoted and intensified disordered eating behaviors among some. For Isabelle Anderson, 18, the pandemic may always be remembered for when she, in her words, "Got stuck in her own head." When asked had there not been a pandemic, did she believe this would have happened?"Absolutely not," Anderson said. "I was waking up each morning with nothing to do, essentially, but focus on what I ate and look in the mirror. It was the perfect storm that contributed to me developing this eating disorder."Before the spring of 2020, Anderson had begun dieting and lost 40 pounds, but when the world shut down, she developed an addiction to exercise and obsessive habits of food control. This was cued by a culture that was saying, if not now, when."The meals I were eating were very small in portion and devoid of nutrients at all times. I was very rigid about when I had to eat and that's something I am still working on," Anderson said.Anderson did not want to divulge what had been her daily calorie intake or total weight loss for fear of triggering issues in other young women. Her mother, Melissa Anderson, knew there was a problem when her daughter's period stopped."When that doesn't happen for a year, it has negative consequences. So, that really started us thinking we needed to do something different," Melissa Anderson said.Dr. Angela Guarda, who runs the eating disorders program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, diagnosed Isabelle Anderson with anorexia, an eating disorder that includes obsessions about weight, food and body image and can lead to extreme and dangerously unhealthy weight loss."The pandemic seems to have drastically affected the risk for eating disorders. In fact, more so than other psychiatric conditions," Guarda said.Nearly two years into the pandemic, Guarda said cases have not leveled off, with many young people still suffering from the effects of stress, social isolation and the initial changes in eating patterns.In fact, before the pandemic, patients could wait up to three weeks for an inpatient spot in the eating disorders program. Now, the wait can be months."I'd never seen anything like this, and this is a worldwide phenomenon," Guarda said.It is something Isabelle Anderson realized when she started college last fall at Amherst College in Massachusetts."People really don't understand how expansive this condition is and how many people struggle with it," Isabelle Anderson said."It's important to recognize that the majority of individuals affected by eating disorders are not visibly underweight. In fact, the majority are going to be at a normal weight or higher weight," Guarda said.Isabelle Anderson said she feels about 80% recovered and is not letting that little voice in her head win out."There are some days that are harder than others, but for the most part, I feel really great about where I'm at," Isabelle said.Isabelle Anderson saw Guarda only virtually when she was treated as an outpatient. She still checks in with her and while at school and receives help through her college's dietitian and counseling center.If you or someone you know needs help, Guarda recommends contacting the National Eating Disorders Association at their website or call their help line at 800-931-2237.