Hello @everyone,
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are often overlooked in adolescent health.
These conditions are frequently assumed to be rare or a "Western" problem in African settings, yet emerging evidence and clinical experience suggest they may be under recognised, misdiagnosed, or simply not asked about. Adolescents presenting with weight loss, food restriction, or purging may be screened for infections or malnutrition but not for disordered eating. Stigma, limited diagnostic capacity, and a shortage of trained providers compound the problem.
My questions;
1. Are disordered eating and eating disorders being identified in your programs, or are they largely invisible in screening and surveillance?
2. How do cultural norms, body image, food insecurity and stigma shape how these conditions present and are perceived?
3. What approaches have worked?
