Effective management of adolescents with anorexia and bulimia

1. Anorexia and bulimia are common among adolescents, and both are complex, chronic disorders with high comorbidity and significant complications and mortality. 2. Eating disorders cultivate shame, denial, and lack of insight, making treatment difficult and necessitating careful development of a therapeutic alliance. 3. Treatment goals are to correct the biological and psychological sequelae, prevent or correct complications, restore normal eating patterns, reduce binging and purging, promote understanding and change in dysfunctional behaviors and attitudes, improve intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning, restore normal exercise patterns, and address comorbid psychopathology and psychological conflicts.