All doctors who are in contact with children should be aware of the warning signs of eating disorders, experts have said.

Eating disorders are a range of illnesses that are characterised by disordered eating patterns and negative thought processes regarding body weight and shape. They include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

While few studies have looked at the prevalence of eating disorders in Ireland, an estimated 200,000 people are living with these conditions, with around 400 new cases per year.

According to consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, Prof Fiona McNicholas, and psychiatry nursing student, Diarmuid Lynch, eating disorders are ‘debilitating conditions with significant adverse medical, psychological and social impact on the individual and the family'.

These disorders are also ‘notoriously difficult' to treat, especially if help has not been sought in the early stages, and they have the highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions, with premature death due to medical complications and suicide.

"The age of onset is most often in adolescence , with 85% having commenced before 20 years of age. It is therefore imperative that professionals working with children and adolescents are alert to the possibility of an eating disorder and initiate the appropriate treatment without delay," Prof Mc Nicholas and Mr Lynch emphasised.

They insisted that a ‘complacent approach' to a young person who is losing weight, or not gaining the expected weight, ‘is never justified'.

They said that the prognosis is better for people who are diagnosed before the age of 18, who have a short duration of illness before diagnosis and have ‘better family functioning'.

Around half of those affected recover, although this may take up to five years, and relapses can be common especially during times of stress.

Meanwhile, Prof Mc Nicholas and Mr Lynch emphasised that body image dissatisfaction among young people should never be misinterpreted as ‘the normal discontent of westernised females'. This they said, ‘has no place in managing these very vulnerable individuals'.

"All clinicians in contact with children should be aware of the warning signs and make the appropriate referrals for treatment," they added.

They made their comments in the journal, Hospital Doctor of Ireland.