The medical consequences of eating disorders can go unrecognized, even by experienced clinicians
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses with significant, life-threatening medical and psychiatric morbidity and mortality, regardless of an individual’s weight. Anorexia Nervosa (AN), in particular, has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Risk of premature death is 6-12 times higher in women with AN as compared to the general population, adjusting for age.
Early recognition and timely intervention, based on a developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, multidisciplinary team approach (medical, psychological & nutritional), is the ideal standard of care, wherever possible. Members of the multidisciplinary team may vary and will depend upon the needs of the patient and the availability of these team members in the patient’s community. [source: Academy for Eating Disorders: Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders (opens to PDF) |
We speak with Dr. Laird Birmingham, a professor of psychiatry and associate member of the departments of Medicine and Health Care and Epidemiology at the University of British Columbia.
RELATED | Global BC: Project to start an eating disorders center in Vancouver looking for public support (Nov. 4, 2012) | Academy for Eating Disorders: Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders (opens to PDF) |
