Medical complications and management of eating disorders

ABSTRACT

As the physical abnormalities seen in eating disorders seem to be largely secondary to these patients' disturbed eating habits and their compromised nutritional state, most physical abnormalities associated with eating disorders are reversed by restoring healthy eating habits and sound nutrition. However, some medical consequences of eating disorders are irreversible or have later repercussions on health, especially those affecting the skeleton, the reproductive system, and the brain. Early medical intervention and psychiatric treatment are particularly important for those with or at risk of severe emaciation. Eating disorders are common among adolescent girls and young women and are associated with potentially serious medical complications, yet they often go undetected and untreated. All patients with eating disorders should be evaluated and treated for medical complications of the disease at the same time that psychotherapy and nutritional counseling are undertaken.