Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Lindner Center of HOPE Raise Eating Disorders Awareness

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Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Feb 16, 2012, 01:58 ET

CINCINNATI, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recently, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Lindner Center of HOPE, and Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute hosted the Evening with an Eating Disorders Expert Panel in honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Month. The purpose of the panel was for eating disorders experts to provide answers for family, friends, coaches, and other care givers about the mental and physical health struggles involved with eating disorders.

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Cincinnati Children's and Lindner Center of HOPE also collaborate to stabilize and strengthen mental health care services for children and teens. A 16-bed inpatient unit serves children facing a milieu of mental health concerns-while offering an eating disorders specialty track. The Partial Hospitalization program is ideal for those patients stepping down from intensive treatment or as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization. The treatment program combines psychotherapy, nutritional services, psychiatric management and family support to form a complete treatment plan.

"Not only are eating disorders an increasing public health concern, but they represent the highest rate of mortality compared with other mental illnesses," says Dr. Anne O'Melia, Medical Director of Eating Disorders at the Lindner Center of HOPE, "In addition, these illnesses such as Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, Compulsive Exercising, and Binge Eating Disorder are challenging to identify and treat."

The good news is research shows that eating disorders can be effectively treated in psychiatric, inpatient settings and in partial hospital programs, with particular success when these disorders are addressed in the presence of other mental health diagnoses.

In order to continue to raise awareness and to help protect a loved one who may be suffering from an eating disorder, Lindner Center of HOPE and Cincinnati Children's offer these warning signs and symptoms:

Immediate Symptoms/Warning Signs

A relentless perusal to lose weight
Extreme restrictions in eating habits
Intense fear of weight gain
Lack of menstruation in women and girls
Distorted body image and self-esteem purely focused on weight
Extreme thinness
Inflamed sore throat
Swollen glands in the neck and jaw
Worn tooth enamel and tooth decay as a result of exposure to stomach acid
Dehydration
Compulsive eating, binge eating, or inability to stop eating
Compulsively arranging food and/or cutting into tiny pieces
Abuse of laxatives or diet pills
Excessive exercising
Avoid eating in social situations that involve food
Frequently going to the restroom shortly after meals

Long Term Symptoms

Thinning of bones
Dry and yellowish skin
Brittle hair and nails
Damage to heart structure and function
Low blood pressure, slow breathing and pulse
Brain damage
Multi-organ failure
Infertility
Lethargy and sluggishness
Drop in internal body temperature

For more information on eating disorders and how to help raise awareness visit the National Institute of Mental Health at www.nimh.nih.gov or visit Lindner Center of HOPE at www.lindnercenterofhope.org or call 513-636-4124.

About Cincinnati Children's
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S.News and World Report's 2011 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for gastroenterology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties - a distinction shared by only two other pediatric hospitals in the United States. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.

SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center