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Is an integral nutritional approach to eating disorders feasible in primary care?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Alberto Miján de la Torre*
Affiliation:
Servicio de Medicina Interna (Nutrición), 8a Planta, Hospital Gral Yagüe, Avda Cid 96, E-09005 Burgos, Spain Nutrition and Bromatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Spain
Ana Pérez-García
Affiliation:
Primary Care Team, Federico García Lorca, Burgos, Spain
Elvira Martín de la Torre
Affiliation:
Servicio de Medicina Interna (Nutrición), 8a Planta, Hospital Gral Yagüe, Avda Cid 96, E-09005 Burgos, Spain
Beatriz de Mateo Silleras
Affiliation:
Nutrition and Bromatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Alberto Miján de la Torre, fax +34 947 281 771, email mijan@hgy.es
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Abstract

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Patients with eating disorders (ED) show alterations in both their behaviour and their intake of food, frequently presenting nutritional and somatic affectations. Besides the classical forms such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa, there has recently been an increase in atypical or incomplete forms of ED, such as binge eating. Primary care (PC) services form the central and closest nucleus of health care for the individual and the family, where ED occur and leave their mark. This allows PC to provide an integral response at all levels of care for ED. Primary prevention at school, in the family and community is fundamental to avoiding its inception. Secondary prevention is based on early diagnosis and treatment of ED and favours a better prognosis of the illness. Tertiary prevention tries to reduce the serious consequences with rehabilitation measures to alleviate complications and avoid risk to life. Due to its complexity, these patients are afforded the attention of multidisciplinary teams of specialists with experience in treating this condition. In consultation with the team, the general practitioner should adopt a leading role at all levels of attention, as he/she is the link between the team, the family and the patient. This requires both regulated, specific training in the disease and the allocation of resources to carry it through. Putting into practice all these plans would allow us to give a positive answer to the question posed in the title of the present article.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

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