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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Identifying and treating eating disorders American Academy of Pediatrics Brief Summary Bibliographic Source Identifying and treating eating disorders. Pediatrics 2003 Jan;111(1):204-11. [78 references] PubMed Major Recommendations Pediatricians need to be knowledgeable about the early signs and symptoms of disordered eating and other related behaviors. Pediatricians should be aware of the careful balance that needs to be in place to decrease the growing prevalence of eating disorders in children and adolescents. When counseling children on risk of obesity and healthy eating, care needs to be taken not to foster overaggressive dieting and to help children and adolescents build self-esteem while still addressing weight concerns. Pediatricians should be familiar with the screening and counseling guidelines for disordered eating and other related behaviors. Pediatricians should know when and how to monitor and/ or refer patients with eating disorders to best address their medical and nutritional needs, serving as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Pediatricians need to be aware of the resources in their communities so they can coordinate care of various treating professionals, helping to create a seamless system between inpatient and outpatient management in their communities. Pediatricians should help advocate for parity of mental health benefits to ensure continuity of care for the patients with eating disorders. Pediatricians need to advocate for legislation and regulations that secure appropriate coverage for medical, nutritional, and mental health treatment in settings appropriate to the severity of the illness (inpatient, day hospital, intensive outpatient, and outpatient). Pediatricians are encouraged to participate in the development of objective criteria for the optimal treatment of eating disorders, including the use of specific treatment modalities and the transition from one level of care to another. Links Link to Full Summary: http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss =15&doc_id=3589&string= Link to Complete Guideline: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/ pediatrics;111/1/204 Pediatricians should be encouraged to calculate and plot weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) using age and gender-appropriate graphs at routine annual pediatric visits. Pediatricians can play a role in primary prevention through office visits and community- or school- based interventions with a focus on screening, education, and advocacy. Pediatricians can work locally, nationally, and internationally to help change cultural norms conducive to eating disorders and proactively to change media messages. Page | 43