Mental health articles

Eating disorders carry numerous serious health risks and can be fatal. Anorexia is the most potentially fatal of all the psychiatric disorders, with a mortality rate as high as 20% among the most severely ill, most commonly resulting from cardiac arrest or suicide (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Mortality resulting from bulimia is much less common, although the disorder can cause a host of medical complications (Mitchell, Pomeroy, & Adson, 1997). Obesity, which is sometimes but not always associated with BED, also causes physical concerns, including shortened life expectancy. Eating disorders require thorough medical assessment and oft en ongoing medical monitoring. Individuals with anorexia or bulimia need to be monitored for electrolyte imbalances, heart irregularities, low blood pressure, anemia, and osteoporosis. Anorectics need to have their weight monitored closely. Individuals with BED who are signifi cantly overweight need to be assessed for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes (Zerbie, 1993). Medical practitioners are oft en the fi rst to diagnose eating disorders when taking a history of weight and eating or performing a physical exam. Medical practitioners also set weight parameters when necessary and make critical decisions about when students are too physically ill for outpatient treatment.

Tags: disorder, eating disorders