LCMH shines a spotlight on eating disorders during National Eating Disorder Awareness Month
February 25, 2019
Did you know nearly 20 million American women and 10 million American men will deal with an eating disorder in their lifetime? Katie Clark, Nurse Practitioner at the Lawrence County Memorial Hospital Primary Care Clinic, says, “It probably affects more people (in Lawrence County) than what we’re aware of.”
February is National Eating Disorder Awareness Month in the United States with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week running from Feb. 22 through Feb. 28
Clark explains that because Lawrence County is a rural area eating disorders are often not openly talked about.
There is no single cause for an eating disorder and diagnosing and treating the disorder can be difficult. There are a variety of treatment options depending upon the patient, including in-patient, residential or partial hospitalization.
“A lot of the treatment is geared at supervising meals and meeting with a dietician to discuss what a healthy meal choice is,” Clark said. “There are different treatment options depending upon the severity of the case. But the sooner you discover the eating disorder, the better the treatment options are and the more likely you are to have successful stories in the end.”
Clark also says that treatment for an eating disorder in Lawrence County may be “limited” but more options may be on the way.
For more information about eating disorders, contact the LCMH Primary Care Clinic at 943-1000.
