Early intervention leads to a better prognosis. You do not need to wait for someone to get sicker to warrant treatment. Receiving effective treatment as early as possible is correlated with a better prognosis and chance for full recovery.
TOP 10 Tips
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. You will miss identifying someone with an eating disorder, if you aren't screening people of all body shapes and sizes.
Obtain a 24 hour diet recall. An efficient and effective way to get a better sense of someone's eating habits is to ask them what they ate over the past 24 hours.
Food is medicine. If someone is losing weight and restricting their food, start giving the message to parents and patients that food is medicine. Recommend 3 meals and 2-3 snacks with an emphasis on higher nutritional value foods.
Exercise and sports may need to stop. This can be hard to hear, especially for competitive athletes. A sample script could be, “this pause is temporary, the same as if you broke a bone or got a concussion. The goal is for you to have a lifetime of movement.”
When ordering labs and EKG, let parents know that normal results do not rule out an issue. A common pitfall is for parents to be falsely reassured that their child is healthy because the labs and/or EKG are normal.
Explain the seriousness of malnutrition to parents and patients. Take time to explain the harm of weight loss during this critical time in development. Diet culture has led people to believe weight loss is healthy and we need to use our role to explain the negative impact on a developing body.
Trust parents. If parents are concerned that their child may have an eating disorder, I am concerned.
Parents aren't to blame. Parents don't cause eating disorders, but parents are essential to treat eating disorders. Take time to let parents know that this is not their fault. It will go a long way.
Follow-up. If there is concern for an eating disorder, schedule a close follow-up.
Use your resources. Don't feel that you need to have all the answers. There are books and resources in the resource section, as well as skilled therapists, dietitians, adolescent medicine specialists in the community to support you and your patients. You can either refer your patient to me or they can contact me directly.
