The evaluation of eating and weight symptoms in the general hospital consultation setting

Eating disorders (ED) in the medically ill population have seldom been studied. The objective of this study is to review a series of medical and surgical patients referred for psychiatric evaluation for a presumed ED. Between 1982 and 1990, a series of 65 patients were referred for psychiatric consultation to evaluate for an ED. All patients records were reviewed for demographic, medical, and psychiatric information, including medical course following the consultation. Sixty-three percent of the study population were referred by internal medicine services. The most common presenting symptoms were self-induced vomiting (39.1%), binge eating (34.4%) and weight loss (31.3%). Bulimia nervosa (n = 21), anorexia nervosa (n = 19), and no psychiatric diagnosis (n = 18) were the most frequent diagnoses. Record review suggested significant challenges to accurate eating disorder diagnoses in patients presenting with primary medical complaints.