Eating disorders in children and young people.

### What you need to know ### Sources and selection criteria Search date: Sept-Oct 2016; repeated August 2017. Eating disorders are a group of conditions in which negative beliefs about eating, body shape, and weight accompany behaviours including restricting eating, binge eating, excessive exercise, vomiting, and laxative use. Eating disorders are particularly common among adolescent girls, although they can also occur in boys and men. Eating disorders are associated with high mortality and morbidity but international evidence shows that many patients either do not access or do not receive treatment. Recent Guidelines12 highlight the importance of early intervention for children and adolescents with eating disorders, beginning treatment as early as possible for better treatment response.34 This update presents a structured approach to diagnosis and management of children and young people with eating disorders (with a focus on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), including risk assessment and when to refer, incorporating recent recommendations from the May 2017 updated NICE guideline.2 In anorexia nervosa, weight is “less than minimally expected,” dietary intake is restricted, and there are disturbances in the way weight and shape are experienced. Bulimia nervosa comprises binge eating with compensatory behaviours aimed at reducing …