A Look at the Comorbidity of Eating Disorders and Addiction

June 24, 2024

Featuring:
Elizabeth Wassenaar, MS, MD, DFAPA, CEDS-C

Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar is featured in this Psychiatric Times article examining the comorbidity of eating disorders and addiction and the potential impact and complexity of using GLP-1 agonist medications in treatment. In the article, Dr. Wassenaar shares concerns about using GLP-1As and their impact on the eating disorder community: "GLP-1 receptor agonists work in the brain to suppress appetite and increase feelings of fullness, which is how they act for individuals who take them to manage their type 2 diabetes. We are beginning to notice patients who are vulnerable to disordered eating and/or relapse of their eating disorder following the initiation of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications."

Psychiatric Times® sat down with Elizabeth Wassenaar, MD, MS, CEDS-S, DFAPA, regional medical director of the Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado, to discuss the comorbidity of eating disorders and addiction, as well as the effects of semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists on patients with eating disorders.

Read the Full Article

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