One-third of people with an eating disorder are neurodivergent, yet traditional eating disorder research and treatments haven't factored this into the equation.
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in Australia, whilst there is also a rising number of menopausal women suffering from anorexia.
Treatments geared specifically toward these groups are available, however outdated preconceptions about who gets eating disorders often hamper doctors' ability to diagnose and treat them.
Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in Australia, whilst there is also a rising number of menopausal women suffering from anorexia.
Treatments geared specifically toward these groups are available, however outdated preconceptions about who gets eating disorders often hamper doctors' ability to diagnose and treat them.
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00:00 Did you know there's a strong link between ADHD, autism and eating disorders?
00:04 Or that the most common eating disorder in Australia is binge eating disorder, which
00:08 develops at age 25 on average and affects people of all genders.
00:11 And I bet you have no idea that there's an increase in menopausal women getting anorexia.
00:16 Researchers are busting old myths about who gets eating disorders and why.
00:20 And that means new hope for treatments geared towards those groups.
00:22 Here are three examples of how eating disorder treatments could change for the better soon.
00:26 Number one, gearing treatment towards neurodivergent patients.
00:30 About one third of eating disorder patients are autistic or have ADHD or another condition
00:35 like Tourette's.
00:36 And while traditional eating disorder treatments haven't factored that into the equation, there's
00:39 a push for that to change.
00:40 Advocates say all treating doctors should not only know about the links between neurodivergent
00:45 and eating disorders, but provide care that steers clear of old assumptions and treatments
00:50 that harm and invalidate these patients.
00:52 Number two, introducing hormone replacement therapy for anorexia patients.
00:56 Researchers are also looking into new treatments for anorexia that draw on its link to estrogen.
01:01 There are currently no effective medications for anorexia, but new research into medicated
01:06 estrogen patches applied directly to patient skin could offer hope.
01:09 Number three, new drugs being tested for binge eating disorder.
01:13 This common eating disorder has been pretty overlooked for decades, but recently some
01:16 small studies have found that some particular drugs in the same class as Ozempic could actually
01:21 reduce binge eating.
01:22 More research is needed, but these studies at least offer some hope.
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