Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious medical and behavioral problems that often start in
and around the teen years. Our Eating Disorders program provides coordinated and
complete treatment for eating disorders, as well as weight management services.
To provide this care, we work closely with other Children's specialists, including
those in Nutrition and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine.
Our team includes doctors, nurses and dietitians with training and experience in
treating young people with problems that include anorexia, bulimia and obesity.
Meet the Eating Disorders care team.
Conditions we treat
Our Eating Disorders program cares for young people with conditions that include:
- Anorexia nervosa (anorexia)
In an effort to be thin, people with anorexia often stop eating. This causes them
to lose large amounts of weight, which can stop their bodies from working correctly.
They may also vomit, take laxatives or exercise too much to control their weight.
People with anorexia, like those with other eating disorders, often are very critical
of themselves and have negative feelings about food and their body weight, no matter
their size.
- Bulimia nervosa (bulimia)
People with bulimia go back and forth between eating too much (binging) and purging
by forcing themselves to vomit or by exercising too much. Over time, this can cause
many problems with the way their bodies work. People with bulimia may lose and regain
weight, but they usually don't reach the very low weights of those with anorexia.
As with other eating disorders, people with bulimia often are very critical of themselves
and have negative feelings about food and their body weight, no matter their size.
- Obesity
To find out whether your child has a high amount of body fat (obesity), healthcare providers use a measurement called the body mass index (BMI). Our clinic cares for older children, teens and young adults with BMIs between the 85th and 95th percentile for their age and sex. Obesity puts young people at greater risk of developing long-term health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It also can make existing health problems worse, such as asthma.
