ENES - Experten-Netzwerk-Essstörungen Schweiz

Diagnostik

Family physicians, pediatricians, dentists, and gynecologists play a pivotal role in the early identification of eating disorders.

The following risk groups that are particularly susceptible:

  • Young women with low body weight
  • Underweight and normal weight patients with weight concerns
  • Women with menstrual disorders or amenorrhea
  • Patients with evidence of malnutrition
  • Individuals with persistent digestive issues
  • Patients with repeated vomiting
  • Children with growth disorders

 

If an eating disorder is suspected, the following questions may be helpful for clarification:

  • How satisfied are you with your eating habits?
  • Is there anything you would like to change about what or how much you eat?
  • Does your weight affect your self-esteem?
  • Do you worry about your figure?
  • Do you eat in secret?
  • Do you ever vomit when you feel uncomfortably full?
  • Do you worry because sometimes you can't stop eating? 

Transfer

If there are reasonable grounds for suspicion, the patient should be referred to a specialist in psychiatry, a psychologist specializing in eating disorders, or a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The diagnosis of eating disorders is based on standardized criteria from operationalized classification systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Additional tools include structured interviews and self-assessment questionnaires, such as the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), which evaluates specific eating disorder pathology in adults and adolescents.