Anorexic Teens May Gain From Whole-Family Treatment

MONDAY, Oct. 4 — Family-based treatment for anorexic teenagers may be more effective in the long-term than individual counseling, a new study finds.
"Family therapy has been part of the landscape for the treatment of anorexia nervosa for maybe 40 years, but this specific form has been evolving as a likely effective treatment for the last 10," said Dr. James Lock, lead author of a study in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. "But this is the first study to actually compare this treatment to an active treatment."
Anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder most common among teenage girls, can stunt growth, delay puberty and reduce peak bone mass. Almost 6 percent of anorexics die from heart failure or suicide each decade, the authors write.
"Family…
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