Eating disorders in adolescents and young adults.

Eating disorders are relatively common and frequently result in medical signs and symptoms. Armed with an appreciation of the protean manifestations of these complex health problems as well as an appreciation of the biopsychosocial approach needed to help the adolescent or young adult woman recover, the primary care physician is in an excellent position to have a therapeutic role in the recovery from these chronic conditions. By recognizing the medical aspects of eating disorders, the oversimplified viewpoint of considering them as purely psychiatric disorders can be avoided. Open and consistent communication with patients, with a focus on health rather than dysfunction and mental illness, facilitates the acceptance of a comprehensive approach in which the internist, dietitian, and mental health provider all have a role.