Author: frivvy89

Case Dr. Wimberly A 25-year-old female pharmacy student is brought to the emergency department by her parents after a presyncopal episode while at home for a school break. Her parents are concerned that she has lost quite a bit of weight over the last year. Initial vitals are notable for HR 38 and supine BP 110/70. Upon standing, BP decreases to 85/60 and HR increases to 115.  Labs are notable for slightly low potassium and normal serum phosphorus. BMI is 15.2.   Background Eating disorders (EDs) are serious psychiatric illnesses with significant morbidity and mortality. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of…

New research conducted by an investigator from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has revealed a key neural mechanism underlying the feeling of being unable to stop eating, the most salient aspect of binge episodes in eating disorders like bulimia nervosa. The researcher found deficient activation of the medial and lateral prefrontal cortices (brain regions known to play a role in the control of cravings, behaviors, and emotions) during eating-specific response inhibition in participants with bulimia nervosa compared with healthy controls. The findings, published February 25 in Psychological Medicine, provide initial evidence that this dimished activation of the…

Since Sam Ikin was a child his urge to devour food was out of his control. He didn’t want to be fat. “I wanted to look good. But the more I deprived myself of something, the more I craved it,” he says.In one go, he might end up eating a couple of packets of biscuits or a whole big bag of chips. “You’re not conscious of the quantity that you’re eating, you just want to keep eating. And then once you finish what’s in front of you, you start thinking about what else there is,” he says. He would “come…

Each year, the culmination of Black History Month coincides with Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Within the eating disorder treatment community, we often state that, “eating disorders do not discriminate.” This is true in so far as eating disorders impact people of all races, genders, ages, sizes and socioeconomic backgrounds. However, this statement can be misleading. While eating disorders can impact anybody, historically not everybody has had a seat at the table. Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) are frequently underrepresented in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Among Black people in particular, eating disorders themselves might not discriminate; but significant…

While there is a misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice, they are serious and sometimes fatal illnesses that are related to disturbances in people’s eating behaviors and associated thoughts and feelings. As this year’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week takes place Feb. 21-27, we asked Dr. Rheanna Ata Brown, assistant professor in the Departments of Surgery, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences who works in the Weight Loss and Metabolic Center, about warning signs, treatments and how bariatric surgery handles eating disorders in patients. Question: What counts as an eating disorder? Answer: According to the most recent Diagnostic and…

Hours after eating leftovers from a restaurant, a 19-year-old was admitted to the hospital with multiple organ failure and later had both his legs and all his fingers amputated.The Massachusetts college student had eaten rice, chicken and lo mein from a restaurant. Soon after, he felt abdominal pain and his skin turned a shade of purple, according to a report by The New England Journal of Medicine.The teenager was admitted to a hospital for “shock, multiple organ failure, and rash,” and his condition quickly declined. He experienced abnormal breathing, high blood pressure and vomiting. The student had been healthy overall with regular drinking and smoking habits,…

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, and sometimes deadly, eating disorder that impacts 0.3% to 0.4% of young women in the United States. Adolescents between ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia have 12 times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers. Because the disease often starts in the teen years and can be fatal if not treated, it’s important for parents to know the signs of anorexia in teens. Signs of Anorexia in Teens Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes the person to severely restrict what they eat or drink. A person with anorexia is often…

Eating disorders are serious but treatable illnesses that can affect any age, ethnicity, gender, body shape or size. Although there is no single cause for an eating disorder, a combination of biological, sociocultural and psychological factors can lead the to development of disordered eating patterns. Unfortunately, some teens and children may develop eating disorders that can harm their health, emotions and relationships with others. Here, Dr. Wayne Nguyen, director of psychiatry, and Dr. Alexandra Roche, division chief of adolescent medicine at CHOC, discuss the signs of eating disorders, their medical complications and what parents can do to help.    What signs…

Limited availability of affordable and healthy foods can contribute to poor health outcomes, especially for residents of rural and low-income regions. That is one of the conclusions of a study conducted by an agricultural economist at Penn State who examined the food environment for residents in the Mississippi Delta, a region that has one of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. The findings have important implications not only in the Mississippi Delta, but for other regions of the country where convenience stores and dollar stores generally comprise the highest proportion of stores available, noted Linlin Fan, assistant professor of…

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Limited availability of affordable and healthy foods can contribute to poor health outcomes, especially for residents of rural and low-income regions. That is one of the conclusions of a study conducted by an agricultural economist at Penn State who examined the food environment for residents in the Mississippi Delta, a region that has one of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. The findings have important implications not only in the Mississippi Delta, but for other regions of the country where convenience stores and dollar stores generally comprise the highest proportion of stores available, noted Linlin…