Eating disorders are very common among young people and are associated with chronic malnutrition and a chronic course of illness. They range from binge eating disorder to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, pica, and rumination disorder. The most common ones are the first three mentioned.
Generally, eating disorders affect females more than males and are more common in developed countries. Reports record a prevalence rate of 0.3 to 4% and the mean age of onset ranges from 18 to 21 years in both genders. A study reported that approximately 4% of women are likely to develop anorexia nervosa and about 2% of women are likely to develop bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders in their lifetimes.
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There is no specific cause however, the cause includes a mixture of environmental, social, and interpersonal factors. Many people who have eating disorders have an altered perception of their bodies. Clinical features include weakness, fatigue, cold sensitivity, weight loss, hoarseness due to acid reflux, body image disturbance, etc. Treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach involving various health personnel, family, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Underreported groups
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For a long while, eating disorders have been thought to mostly affect white women with a low BMI. This myth may affect how the underrepresented minority group accesses care compared to the majority group. People of various ethnic groups and races may be at risk due to socioeconomic factors like food insecurity and poverty and developmental factors, however, reports have recorded a high rate of eating disorders and their related conditions in minority individuals in relation to sex and gender, compared to the general population.
Parent-Youth information discordance
During community surveys and studies, researchers usually record inconsistencies in information given by patients and their parents or caregivers. This often happens when information is obtained from young key informants. As a result, important details, including symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and other internal emotional struggles, are often not captured.
Carolina Makwoski and her colleagues conducted a study that involved data from The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study with the aim of addressing the gaps expressed above. They emphasized the importance of involving multiple informants when collecting data concerning symptoms of eating disorders in a sample of children and adolescents.
The study, which recruited children between 9 and 11 years, was a long-term study that analyzed the brain and development of about 12,000 children. The data collected included children who represented all races and socioeconomic groups in the US.
The result analysis showed multiple discrepancies between parents and youth information. Interestingly, they were noticed around the late childhood/adolescent period. They suggest that the quality of information obtained may be affected by age, language skill, and level of understanding.
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Clinical significance
The result of the study shows that there is a need for better and early detection of symptoms of eating disorders by both parents and youth. The need for education concerning the disease is important as this will help them detect it easily and faster.
In the future, researchers can merge information from various informants and also incorporate objective measures of physical health that may help them perform a more comprehensive analysis of symptoms.
References
Makowski, C., Westwater, M. L., Rhee, K. E., Zou, J., Bischoff-Grethe, A., & Wierenga, C. E. (2023). Sociodemographic correlates of parent and youth-reported eating disorder symptoms in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.18.23300155
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