Over the past 18 months, eating disorder specialists have seen a huge rise in the number of referrals, and experts have said that the pandemic has created “the perfect storm” for eating disorders, especially among children and young people. As GPs, what do we need to know about eating disorders? What red flags should we look out for, and how do we approach this thorny issue with our young patients? In this week’s episode, we talk to Dr. Simon Chapman about spotting the signs of an eating disorder, and we get advice on management. We also chat to Zoe John and Victoria Adeniji, who are both in recovery from their eating disorders, about their experiences and about how GPs may best support people with a history of eating disorders in their care.

Our guests:

Simon Chapman is a consultant in paediatrics and adolescent medicine at King's College Hospital, London. He is also the medical lead for the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders.

Zoe John and Victoria Adeniji are ambassadors for Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity.

Further reading:

The MARSIPAN guidelines: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/better-mh-policy/college-reports/college-report-cr189.pdf?sfvrsn=6c2e7ada_2