Identifying & Managing Eating Disorders in Pediatric Obesity Treatment: Current Practices in Weight

A national survey examined pediatric weight management programs across the US regarding eating disorder screening practices

Most programs are screening for eating disorders but not in a standardized way

About 60% of programs perform some form of eating disorder screening

Much of the screening is informal, using homegrown questionnaires or clinical judgment rather than validated tools

Providers are generally comfortable with screening for eating disorders

Medical providers lag behind behavioral health specialists by a wide margin when diagnosing conditions like binge eating disorder

Clinicians report not being trained enough as a barrier to eating disorder management

Clinicians report not knowing how to manage eating disorders they identify as a barrier

Clinicians report lacking clear treatment pathways for eating disorders as a barrier

Medical providers may need more training for diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders in pediatric obesity settings