Adult Eating Disorders

Guest: Leslie A. Sim, Ph.D., L.P. (@DrLeslieSim)

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD)

A variety of eating disorders can occur in adults and they are associated with multiple potential health complications, including an increased risk of death. Some studies report that up to 20% of those with Anorexia Nervosa will die as a result of the condition. Would you recognize an eating disorder in the patients you see? What clues should you look for? In this week’s Mayo Clinic Talks, we’ll speak with Dr. Leslie Sim, a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. We’ll discuss who is most likely to develop an eating disorder, important “red flag” symptoms, questions you should ask patients to help confirm a diagnosis, and how we should approach a patient we suspect has an eating disorder.

Topics discussed:

• Definition of an eating disorder
• Important “red flag” symptoms that may indicate an eating disorder
• Health complications that can occur as a result of an eating disorder
• Who is most likely to have an eating disorder
• The genetic component to eating disorders
• Clues from their childhood that suggest patients may have an eating disorder as an adult
• Events which can trigger an eating disorder
• When we should suspect an eating disorder
• How we should approach a patient we suspect has an eating disorder
• Management of eating disorders
• Effectiveness of treatment

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