Eating Disorders and Their Cost to the Community

As eating disorders are generally on the rise in the United States, what are the personal and economic costs of anorexia and bulimia? Dr. Allegra Broft, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and research psychiatrist at the Eating Disorders Research Unit of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, is alarmed that eating disorders are not only have a high cost financially, but cost lives as well, likely accounting for the highest mortality among psychiatric disorders. How expensive and effective are residential programs for treatment of eating disorders? What other programs might help patients and families meet the challenges of eating disorder treatments? Hosted by Dr. Mary Leuchars.