WELCOME TO (ED)ucate
As you begin interacting with patients you will likely encounter someone with an eating disorder, whether you know it or not. Eating disorder symptoms and complications can affect the entire body system. While many people believe these patients primarily present in the family medicine and psychiatry settings, the extensive effects of eating disorders on the physical body means patients may present with symptoms to any specialty. Endocrinology, gynecology, cardiology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, or orthopedics are just a few of the specialties where patients may present with symptoms or complications. As you'll see below, studies show medical professionals often do not feel comfortable or equipped to treat patients with eating disorders. The goal of (ED)ucate is to teach you to recognize the symptoms, understand the complications, and equip you to manage the care of these patients. Let's get started! Review the eating disorder statistics below and proceed to the first module.
Eating Disorder Statistics
million
28
Americans will experience an eating disorder
(Deloitte Access Economics, 2020)
<6%
of people with eating disorders are underweight
(Deloitte Access Economics, 2020)
Someone dies from an eating disorder
(Deloitte Access Economics, 2020)
85% of emergency room physicians want more training on eating disorders
(Ma et al., 2021)
94%
of medical residents found their education on eating disorders was insufficient.
(Girz, Robinson & Tessier, 2014)
#2
deadliest mental illness behind Opioid Use Disorder
(Deloitte Access Economics, 2020)
References
Deloitte Access Economics. (2020). The social and economic cost of eating disorders in the United States of America: A report for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/
Girz, L., Robinson, A. L., & Tessier, C. (2014, October 1). Is the next generation of physicians adequately prepared to diagnose and treat eating disorders in children and adolescents? Eating Disorders, 22(5), 375-385. DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2014.915692
Ma, C., Gonzales-Pacheco, D., Cerami, J., & Coakley, K.E. (2021). Emergency medicine physicians’ knowledge and perceptions of training, education, and resources in eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00355-8