3.0 Eating Disorders in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

This program focuses on disseminating evidence-based education to providers interested in learning best practices for the identification, evaluation, and management of eating disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Increases in the incidence and prevalence of eating disorders in children and adolescents make it critically important for mental health professionals to be familiar with early detection and appropriate management of these disorders. The results of epidemiological studies have indicated that the numbers of children and adolescents with eating disorders increased steadily from the 1950s onward. During the past decade, the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has also increased dramatically, accompanied by further emphasis on dieting and weight loss among children and adolescents. Of particular concern is the increasing prevalence of eating disorders at progressively younger ages.