Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND An eating disorder is a complex disease in which the patient subjects his or her body to the various eating disorder symptoms in the absence of other ways of dealing with
everyday life. There are seven symptoms of an eating disorder that generally appear in different combinations from one period to another in one and the same patient. Feelings of shame may cause
information on symptoms to be withheld.
MATERIAL AND METHOD Patients aged 18 and above with serious eating disorders responded anonymously to a questionnaire before entering treatment in two specialist departments. The main
focus was on whether the patient had talked with a general practitioner (GP) about relevant eating disorder symptoms and ailments that could be related to the eating disorder.
RESULTS Altogether 114 patients participated (of which three were men). A total of 91 (80 %) had discussed the eating disorder with their GP during the past year. Of these, 67 % of those who had
reduced their food intake over the past year had discussed this with their GP. Altogether 68 % of those who had vomited and 33 % of those who had over-exercised had communicated this. None of the
respondents had revealed their use of diuretic or weight-loss drugs to their GP. 85 % of respondents stated that the GP must ask specifically about each symptom of an eating disorder in order to
reveal these. At least half had discussed the association between current ailments and the eating disorder. A total of 49 % had been weighed.
INTERPRETATION In order to be able to establish the best possible basis for a medical assessment, the GP should ask specifically about each symptom of an eating disorder.