Eating Disorders in Women’s Health Primary Care Practice

Eating disorders are common among women of reproductive age. Despite high morbidity and mortality, eating disorders are underdiagnosed. Primary care providers have a unique opportunity to detect and screen patients at risk for development of eating disorders. In addition, they play a critical role in medical management of eating disorders and in coordinating multidisciplinary care. In this chapter, we describe the role of the primary care provider from initial clinical suspicion of an eating disorder to treatment and management of the myriad of medical complications that can occur in patients with eating disorders. Special attention is paid to people with eating disorders who are also pregnant.