ABSTRACT
Background: Eating disorders may have serious organic consequences derived from under nutrition, specific nutrient deficiencies and electrolytic disturbances and reach a mortality as high as 12 percent. Aim: To describe the features and outcome after six months of treatment of patients attending the Eating Disorders Unit at the Catholic University Hospital in Chile. Material and methods: Review of medical records of patients with eating disorders that received a multidisciplinary treatment by a team of nutritionists, psychiatrists and psychologists and were seen at least twice in a period of six months. Results: The records of 81 patients (mean age 16.3±3 years, only one male) were included in the review. Forty nine patients had Anorexia Nervosa of the restricting type, five of the purging type, 22 had Bulimia Nervosa of the purging type and two of the non purging type and three patients had an eating disorder not otherwise specified. Eighty percent consulted within the first year of symptom appearance. Sixty five percent came from families with both parents living together, 57 percent had a rigid and agglutinated family structure and 65 percent had occult crises. Depression or dysthymia was found in 45 percent of patients and drug therapy was required at the beginning of treatment in 25 percent. Obsessive traits (40.4 percent) were significantly related to restrictive eaters. A past history of obesity or overweight was common. After six months of treatment, body mass index increasing significantly in restrictive eaters with obsessive traits and occult family crises was noticed. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary therapeutic intervention improved body mass index and family symptoms in patients with restrictive eating disorders.