Editor's Choice
OCT 13 2020
How Patients With Eating Disorders Have Been Affected by the Pandemic
Smithsonian Magazine
A recent study suggests that worries related to Covid-19 may exacerbate conditions including anorexia and binge eating. Scientists have found that since the start of the pandemic many people with anorexia have become more restricted, and many with binge eating disorder or bulimia, have had more binging episodes. The study’s findings line up with an increase in calls to the helpline of the National Eating Disorders Association. The nonprofit reported 69 percent more calls in June and July of 2020 than in June and July of 2019.
OCT 13 2020
UNC is mapping the genetics of eating disorders to develop better treatments
News Observer
A new initiative at UNC-Chapel Hill is kicking off a genetic study of eating disorders that it says will be the largest of its kind. If successful, the study, conducted by the Eating Disorders Genetic Initiative (EDGI), will be able to identify hundreds of genes that influence a person’s likelihood of suffering from three prominent disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. That knowledge could significantly improve the way those illnesses are treated, said Cynthia Bulik, a professor at the UNC School of Medicine and head of EDGI.
OCT 4 2020
Watching out for eating disorders in kids and teens
Contemporary Pediatrics
Eating may become disordered for some pediatric patients. A presentation at the virtual 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition gives guidance on how to identify and manage eating disorders in pediatrics. There is a shifting epidemiology of eating disorders, it is becoming more prevalent in younger children, males, and minorities. He also spoke about the sex differences that are noted in eating disorder prevalence, stating that the 9:1 ratio of girls to boys only seems to apply to teenagers and young adults. In children aged 9 to 10, the ratio is 1:1..