Presenter: Sara Hopkins, ND, LAc

Original Date: November 2, 2019

Disordered eating behaviors can have a profound impact on digestive physiology resulting in altered motility, anatomy, digestive secretions, immunologic status, and microbial balance. These challenges contribute to the development of a number of different GI disorders, including the category of “Functional GI Disorders” which may have a prevalence up to 98% in patients with eating disorders. Many of these symptoms naturally resolve through the eating disorder recovery process, but to make matters more complex, many patients with eating disorders also had gastrointestinal concerns prior to the onset of their eating disorder. This overlap can present challenges in clinical practice and raises many questions. When should we be pursuing testing for GI symptoms? How do we ensure that our interventions do not cause harm? For conditions for which dietary modification is typically a cornerstone of treatment, when is it appropriate to include these modifications? This presentation explores these questions through presentation of research, clinical experience, and conversation.

1.5 General CEUs approved by OBNM