NEDA's course for Physician Assistants, Eating Disorders: Presentation & Diagnosis, is made in partnership with CCCED and Albany Medical College and is designed to provide clinical assessment skills for eating disorders screening.
National surveys estimate that 20 million women and 10 million men in America will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses that affect all kinds of people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, size, age, or background. In fact, eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid addiction.
Since eating disorders are complex yet treatable illnesses, NEDA is working with leading researchers and clinicians to help practitioners and patients recognize the signs and increase early detection and intervention.
Following this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the symptoms of eating disorders
2. Describe the barriers to patients being able to self-identify their eating disorder behaviors and challenges medical providers have with addressing the needs of people in higher weight bodies
3. Determine if weight stigma could be a personal challenge for physician assistants in identifying eating disorders in people in higher weight bodies
4. Obtain screening questions and approaches to learn about patients’ potential eating disorders behaviors
5. Determine how common supportive responses may impede diagnosis and encourage eating disorders behaviors