Assessment of child or young person with a possible eating disorder

Assessing young people with possible eating disorders can be complex for a variety of reasons, including managing confidentiality and risk (for example, a young person not wanting their parent to be involved, or a parent presenting with concerns about their child), the young person or parent not being aware of the severity of the illness, and difficulty in knowing how questions can be sensitively phrased. This Practice Pointer will offer advice on building therapeutic relationships in consultation with a child or young person, and with their parent(s), what information to gather and how to do so sensitively, and how to discuss the role of the parent or carer in treatment. We recommend that it is read alongside the accompanying Clinical Update for detailed notes on examination, investigations, when to refer, and risk. The advice is based on expert experience. We use the female pronoun throughout as eating disorders are more prevalent in females, but it should be noted that they can and do also occur in males

Clinical update: Eating disorders in children and young people

Eating disorders (ED) are a group of conditions in which negative beliefs about eating, body shape and weight accompany behaviours including restricting eating, binge eating, excessive exercise, vomiting and laxative use. In Anorexia Nervosa (AN), weight is “less than minimally expected”, dietary intake is restricted, and there are disturbances in the way weight and shape are experienced. Bulimia Nervosa (BN) comprises binge eating with compensatory behaviours aimed at reducing weight, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, while Binge Eating Disorder (BED) includes binge eating but without compensatory behaviours. In DSM-51, a new category “Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder” (OSFED) replaces EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) for ED causing distress and impairment but not meeting full criteria for other diagnoses. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) has now been included and it is anticipated that ICD-11 criteria will be broad criteria consistent with DSM changes

Practice Pointer: Assessment of an adolescent with a possible eating disorder

Assessing young people with possible eating disorders can be complex for a variety of reasons, including managing confidentiality and risk (for example, a young person not wanting their parent to be involved, or a parent presenting with concerns about their child), the young person or parent not being aware of the severity of the illness, and difficulty in knowing how questions can be sensitively phrased. This Practice Pointer will offer advice on building therapeutic relationships in consultation with a child or young person, and with their parent(s), what information to gather and how to do so sensitively, and how to discuss the role of the parent or carer in treatment. We recommend that it is read alongside the accompanying Clinical Update for detailed notes on examination, investigations, when to refer, and risk. The advice is based on expert experience. We use the female pronoun throughout as eating disorders are more prevalent in females, but it should be noted that they can and do also occur in males

Eating disorders in children and young people.

Eating disorders (ED) are a group of conditions in which negative beliefs about eating, body shape and weight accompany behaviours including restricting eating, binge eating, excessive exercise, vomiting and laxative use. In Anorexia Nervosa (AN), weight is “less than minimally expected”, dietary intake is restricted, and there are disturbances in the way weight and shape are experienced. Bulimia Nervosa (BN) comprises binge eating with compensatory behaviours aimed at reducing weight, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, while Binge Eating Disorder (BED) includes binge eating but without compensatory behaviours. In DSM-51, a new category “Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder” (OSFED) replaces EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) for ED causing distress and impairment but not meeting full criteria for other diagnoses. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) has now been included and it is anticipated that ICD-11 criteria will be broad criteria consistent with DSM change