In Sweden, the National Board of Health and Welfare estimates that there are approximately 200,000 people who have some form of eating disorder. It is also believed that there is a large underreporting because many people do not seek care.
– It is important that more people receive care but for different types of eating disorders, says Elisabeth Eidem, investigator at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Now the National Board of Health and Welfare has produced 38 different guidelines which should increase knowledge about what the disease looks like.
– It is about disseminating what is the best available knowledge for a selection of questions. They are not comprehensive but we have 38 recommendations and they cover several different types of eating disorders.
“You might be looking for something else”
The guidelines that are being released now are mainly aimed at decision makers who work with resource planning.
By the end of the year, Social Services plans to release an updated version that will include recommendations for health care professionals.
– One question is very much about increasing the knowledge of those who meet people who may have an eating disorder in the first stage. It can be anything from child health care to specialized care. You may be looking for something else, such as stomach problems or anxiety, and eating disorders may not be the first thing that comes to mind because it is not visible on the outside.
Healthy and free: More resources needed
Fredrika Sandell, secretary general of the national association Frisk och Fri, has been involved in drawing up the new guidelines and believes that many state that they want more care that is more individually adapted and with more psychological treatment.
– Based on what we hear, a lot is about managing and treating symptoms. What you want more help with is dealing with what is behind an eating disorder, she says and continues:
– With more knowledge, I hope you understand that you need to push for more resources.