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Medical Management of Severe Eating Disorders | The Doctor Weighs In
By: Philip Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS
Severe eating disorders are the only mental illnesses regularly accompanied by dangerous, life-threatening medical complications
Severe eating disorders are the only mental illnesses regularly accompanied by dangerous, life-threatening medical complications. Significant medical instability results from a number of abnormalities, including:
In fact, the disorder can compromise virtually all of the body’s vital organs and systems.
There are a number of different eating disorders that lead to excessive weight loss and associated medical complications. The most common include:
- anorexia nervosa (AN),
- bulimia nervosa (BN),
- avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
In this article, I will focus on the medical complications of these disorders. I will also discuss how to manage because it is crucial to saving the lives of individuals suffering with a severe eating disorder. Further, it is key to helping patients achieve the medical stability and cognitive function necessary to engage fully in the recovery process.
