Weight Recovery in an Outpatient Medical Eating Disorders Clinic: A Retrospective Review

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Medicine
• Eating Disorders Research
• Clinical Quality Improvement

Background:

• Restrictive Eating Disorders (RED) affect adolescents and young adults.
• Weight recovery is a critical but challenging outcome in RED treatment.
• Quality improvement initiatives are essential for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine weight recovery rates in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with RED.
• To assess the effectiveness of treatment within an Adolescent Medicine outpatient clinic.
• To identify factors influencing successful weight restoration in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 94 patients aged 10-21 years.
• Data collection included demographics, clinical descriptors, and treatment participation.
• Analysis focused on time to weight recovery and achievement of treatment goal weight (TGW).

Main Results:

• 51% of participants starting below 95% TGW achieved ≥95% TGW.
• Higher levels of care were associated with greater success in weight recovery.
• Most participants were female, cis-gender, White, privately insured, and had comorbid psychiatric diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Weight recovery remains a significant challenge for patients with RED, even under expert care.
• Intensified treatment and higher levels of care may improve outcomes.
• Further research is needed to optimize interventions for RED in adolescents and young adults.