Eating Disorders: Vermont lawmakers step in to help with treatment options

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Help could be on the way to create higher levels of care in Vermont for those with eating disorders.

A report from several eating disorder treatment advocacy groups says 9%, or 55,132 Vermonters, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

It affects men and women, but women are twice as likely to have an eating disorder.

It can be in kids as young as 5 up to elderly people. But adolescents, teens and young adults are affected most.

And it comes at an economic cost. The study estimates $123.9 million a year in lost productivity, informal care, efficiency losses and health system costs due to eating disorders.

I told you a few weeks ago how families and providers felt the problem wasn’t being addressed by the state, and said access to care was a significant challenge here.

Now, I learned lawmakers are stepping in.

At the Kahm Clinic in Burlington, Registered Dietician Elaina Efird has been treating eating disorders for years.