Adolescents with eating disorders. Primary care screening, identification, and early intervention.

The identification and treatment of eating disorders in adolescents is a challenging and time-consuming commitment. Early identification and treatment requires a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals and provides an improved prognosis for these complex conditions. Nurses in all levels of practice are in ideal positions to influence early detection through careful screening (identification of risk factors, patient history, and physical exam), close follow-up, and prompt specialty referral with disease progression.