Better Tools Needed to Assess Eating Disorders in Children With Elevated BMI

Authors of a perspective piece on the intersection between elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) and eating disorder prevalence are suggesting changes in how pediatricians screen for eating disorders. The perspective piece, “Screening and Monitoring for Eating Disorders in Youth Presenting for Obesity Treatment” – published in a new AAP journal Pediatrics Open Science, on Jan. 22 – discusses how elevated BMI and eating disorder symptoms can intersect and how pediatricians can properly assess and care for patients presenting with both. Over 20% of youth meet the criteria for an eating disorder and those with higher BMI scores are particularly at risk for conditions such as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, atypical anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Authors stated that while it’s common to screen youth with elevated BMI for issues like binge eating disorder, providers must also be aware that behaviors such as restricting or purging can develop in response to feelings of body dissatisfaction. The lack of a well-validated ED screening tool targeting all youth, including those with elevated BMI, complicates the task of screening patients for eating disorders in the context of weight management. Authors state that all patients with elevated BMI be screened and monitored for eating disorders and weight management referrals should be thoughtfully considered alongside collaboration with other medical professionals.

Pediatrics Open Science marks the first AAP gold open access journal, which will provide free access to pediatric research perspectives and findings from around the world. Find all available studies here.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.