Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. People suffering from eating disorders may not realize how serious their illness has become, and therefore may not seek treatment in a timely way. The longer an eating disorder exists, the more ingrained the behaviors become and the harder it is to treat. Education and prevention are keys to early intervention and lasting recovery.
The Importance of Early Intervention
The doctor’s office is often the first place a person with an eating disorder presents. Whether it is concern over troubling symptoms or at the insistence of a parent or friend, people will often seek help for the physical manifestations of the illness first. As eating disorder awareness is promoted in the medical community, physicians learn the complex warning signs of an eating disorder.
Michele Yeo, in an article for Focus Adolescent Health (2015) describes the common signs of eating disorders and challenging differential diagnoses:
- Altered eating behaviors
- Depressed mood and withdrawal
- Loss of menses
- Excessive exercise
- Dizziness/fatigue
- Headaches
- Heart rate and blood pressure changes
- Dental erosion
- Enlarged parotid glands
Differential diagnoses, illnesses that may mirror eating disorder symptoms, can make it challenging for physicians to make a clear diagnosis:
- Malabsorption syndromes: can cause weight changes and gastrointestinal upsets
- Endocrine issues: thyroid illness, diabetes
- Cancers: tumors, lymphomas
- Psychiatric disorders: depression, anxiety
Physicians can ask a few direct questions during the exam to get a preliminary idea of the likelihood an eating disorder is present:
- How do you feel about your weight?
- How much do you think you should weigh?
- Do you or anyone else have concerns about your eating or exercise behaviors?
Interactive Screening Tools
Online self-assessment tools are gaining ground as a way to detect the signs of an eating disorder. Center for Discovery created one such online assessment, found at www.eatingdisorderevaluation.com. There are two assessments available, one for self and one for a loved one. The assessments are quick to complete, at only 10 questions, and the results provided are clear and easy to interpret. Responses are compared to those provided by people diagnosed with eating disorders. While not designed to diagnose, the assessments provide information that will be useful in evaluations with eating disorder professionals. Center for Discovery also provides treatment referrals and over the phone assessments.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week happens once a year, but helpful resources exist year-round and can provide life-saving prevention!