Eating disorders are among the most prevalent and dangerous mental health concerns for Iowa teenagers, and specialized treatment options in the state are limited. The University of Iowa’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health is now offering treatment for eating disorders to Iowa students 12 and older, as well as for parents and school staff. The center’s Taylor Ford says an eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food that’s far beyond dieting, and it can be life-threatening.
Treatment could involve several experts, including a therapist, a psychiatrist, a physician, and a dietician, while the process may take six months or several years. Ford, the center’s assistant director of clinical services and crisis response, says there’s a misperception that eating disorders primarily impact girls and young women.
About 9% of all Americans will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, she says, which is about 291-thousand Iowans, though large numbers go undiagnosed. While many people have heard of anorexia and bulimia, Ford says binge eating disorder is actually the most common form. Early identification and intervention are key to saving lives and improving outcomes, and she says there may be warning signs.
The U-I’s Scanlan Center also provides statewide mental health services for K-12 students. Find out more at www.scsmh.education.uiowa.edu/.
