race

I am of mixed race. My birth certificate says that my father is "White" and my mother is "Negro," terminology that gives you some idea how old I am.

Naturally, I am interested in research into the demographics of eating disorders.

Many "minority" families don't think of eating disorders as an issue to worry about, and sadly many clinicians buy into that by failing to diagnose eating disorders because people don't meet the profile of the European American middle class female that ends up in most media reports. I know a family whose African American child showed up at an ER after fainting, dehydrated and underweight, unwilling even to take IV fluids for fear of their caloric content but the doc on call never mentioning eating disorders.

I've been pleased to see more attention to research and record-keeping for all people, like this: Prevalence of eating disorders among blacks in the national survey of American life.'

This is everyone's issue.

Comments

  1. You're so right, Laura.

    Ed doesn't discriminate. He hates everyone equally.

    ReplyDelete

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