Effective Treatment of Pediatric Eating Disorders.

Eating disorders are prevalent in the pediatric population yet underdiagnosed by pediatric health care professionals. The gold standard of care consists of a multidisciplinary team approach including a therapist, registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), and psychiatrist, combined with family-centered treatment. Although families do not cause eating disorders, they are essential to a child's recovery from an eating disorder. Psychoeducation, supportive limit setting, processing relational dynamics, and externalizing the eating disorder are therapeutic interventions used in the treatment of an eating disorder. The RDN provides assessment, education, and guidance with food and nutrition, as well as establishing goal weight and implementing meal plans. Over time, the RDN assists with integrating the patient and family into their normal lifestyle, including guiding adjustments in the meal plan for weight maintenance, increasing activity, dining out, and increasing the variety of foods consumed. Psychopharmacological interventions help target comorbid psychiatric conditions but should be used in conjunction with other therapeutic interventions to effectively treat pediatric eating disorders. [Pediatr Ann. 2018;47(6):e250-e253.].