Most eating disorder attention is focused on conditions that make a person too thin, such as anorexia and bulimia. But some people believe that doctors are overlooking equally dangerous disorders that cause people to become too heavy.

"Compulsive eating is also fatal," eating disorder expert Dr. Kimberly Dennis says. "It's just a much slower, gentler killer than anorexia or bulimia." ... In Kansas City, Dr. Dennis talked to health professionals about treating and recognizing all eating disorders.

Dennis believes there's as much denial around overeating and binge eating and there is around other eating disorders, and that psychological therapy is a necessary part of treatment. Source: KSHB-TV (Kansas City)

Labels: diagnosis, treatment, doctors

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Young people often suffer in silence from eating disorders, but a treatment center in Birmingham, England, hopes to change that by equipping general practitioners with a questionnaire aimed at helping them recognize the disorders.

"Sent to 2,000 GPs across the region, the checklist containing five questions about feelings and behavior towards food is designed to help GPs spot problems and ensure patients receive vital treatment as soon as possible."

Though they may not mention the eating habits directly, people with eating disorders often go to their doctors with medical issues related to their disorder. The better equipped a doctor is at confirming suspicions of an eating disorder, the sooner the patient can get the most effective treatment. Source: Sutton Coldfield (UK) News

Labels: diagnosis, awareness, doctors

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When a female patient approaches a doctor for help in losing weight, the doctor should check for eating disorders, according to a new study from the University of Western Sydney in Australia.

Professor Phillipa Hay performed long interviews with 57 Australian women who had the eating disorder bulimia nervosa. Only 28% had sought medical treatment for the problem, and of those, 75% admitted they went to the doctor to get help in losing weight.

IIn this particular study," Dr. Hay said, "only a small number of the participants actually disclose their eating disordered behaviors to a health professional. Among the women who did, there were reports that their symptoms were dismissed because they were not emaciated. This is extremely worrisome, as there can be severe health implications for disordered eating even before weight becomes an issue. Regular purging, for example can lead to dehydration and fainting and markedly depleted levels of potassium, which can cause heart attacks from disturbed heart rhythms."

• Dr. Hay's research indicates that between 10% and 50% of people with eating disorders do not find effective treatment.
• She believes that one remedy would be for health professionals to learn how to identify the signs of the eating disorders, and to ask questions about each patient's eating behaviors.
• Her study found that when a patient was asked directly about an eating disorder, over 90% tell their doctors about their problems.

This study was presented at the University of Western Sydney's Mental Well-Being Conference.

Labels: bulimia, doctors

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