The causes of eating disorders differ for everyone, but they are often triggered by major life changes, Meehan said. She has worked with a young woman on the verge of graduating from college who developed an eating disorder because she feared failing in the real world. She s also worked with a male karate expert who gained a little weight around his stomach, went on a diet, and ended up with an eating disorder that was difficult to recover from. Other studies show a genetic component to eating disorders, links between physical or sexual abuse and eating disorders, and many more possible causes. Spotting the disorders Nurses who have ongoing patient contact especially school nurses and nurses who work in direct primary care offices are in the best position to spot a person with a potential eating disorder, experts say.
Warning signs can be more subtle than large weight fluctuations.
Conn. Nurses should ask whether the person takes laxatives to lose weight and ask what health food products a patient buys. Nurses sometimes don t understand that excessive exercise and amenorrhea can lso be linked to eating disorders, she said. Even patients who are right where they re supposed to be on the height and weight charts should be asked what they do to maintain their weight. They could be bingeing and purging, exercising excessively, or avoiding food. At the time they notice a weight fluctuation or suspect an eating disorder, it s best for nurses to express their concerns directly to the patient in the case of an adult or to a parent in the case of a child, Maine said.