Eating Disorders: From Primary Concern to Primary Care
Parents, family, friends and teachers have something in common in their relationship to a teen with an eating disorder: they are usually close enough to notice if something is wrong. But there is another group of people, primary care physicians, who have an important responsibility in detecting eating disorders.
Eating Disorders Review+ recently published an article about a study++ from Geneva University Hospitals on the role of primary care physicians in the detection of eating disorders. According to the study’s authors, primary care physicians have a vital role. Concerns about weight and body dissatisfaction are certainly common in teens, with “an estimated 40% report body dissatisfaction and up to 77% report dieting at some time” (Eating Disorders Review). Over 7,500 teens aged 16-20 years-old participated in the study, which required participants to fill out self-evaluations about their health. A significant percentage reported excessive concerns about weight and eating.
But are these teens examined by primary care physicians, or do they avoid professional care? Of the teens that participated, “Nearly 80% of students were in contact with a primary care physician at least once a year, and those with excessive concerns visited primary care physicians more often than did their peers” (Eating Disorders Review). Clearly, these teens aren’t going unchecked, but some might be going undetected for eating disorders.
Not all physicians are trained to recognize eating disorders or to take the proper course of action once they suspect a patient is ill. Some may simply reiterate good eating habits to their patients. Some physicians may also view common complaints about body image as a normal consequence of being a teenager. Physicians should take these statements more seriously than offhand comments. The doctor should examine the patients’ state of mind as much as the patient’s body.
Primary physicians should screen their teen patients with questions about eating patterns, exercise and body image concerns. Any concerns about harmful dieting habits or excessive concern over weight should prompt the physician to schedule follow up appointments to monitor the patient. Physicians should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of eating disorders and also the medical complications that accompany them. Finally, primary care doctors should be aware of the resources in their area where patients can receive treatment.
We know that primary care physicians, given their contact with teens, have an important role in detecting eating disorders. Parents who are worried about their teens should view this page of our website to see signs and symptoms of eating disorders so they communicate these to the teen’s primary physician: http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/.
No one who is struggling with an eating disorder should go undetected or untreated.
+ To read this article from Eating Disorders Review, please visit: http://www.eatingdisordersreview.com/nl/nl_edr_21_6_6.html
++ To read an abstract of this study, please visit: http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476%2810%2900045-4/abstract