Eating Disorder Update

OB/GYN News,  Jan 15, 2000  by Sally Koch Kubetin

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The American Psychiatric Association's eating disorders guideline has been revised to reflect recent evidence-based research, the first such revision since 1993.

The revised guideline includes a discussion of special considerations for patients who are pregnant, in high school or college, female athletes, patients with diabetes, and patients who are very young or old, as well as for patients with comorbid conditions, said Dr. Joel Yager, who chaired the workgroups for both the original and revised guideline.

There is also a section on binge-eating disorder, which is not yet an official diagnosis but is considered an "eating disorder not otherwise specified" in the DSM-IV. The condition may affect as much as 2% of the population and is most common among obese treatment-seeking patients, said Dr. Yager of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

The guideline also better differentiates treatment of younger and older patients.

"For children and adolescents, parameters of physiology status that point to the need for inpatient care differ from those in adults. For example, a rapid rate of weight loss with food refusal may be sufficient reason to hospitalize children or adolescents even if their weights have not fallen to 75% or less of healthy body weight," he explained.

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