The role of the teacher in eating disorders

Abstract

The American Psychiatric Association's Manual for Diagnostic Statistics in Psychiatry recognizes that there are several types of food-related mental disorders that share an intense concern about weight, food and changes in body shape. The objective of this research was to analyze the prevalence of eating disorders in adolescents from Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador, this process was based on a bibliographic documentary assessment. The most relevant information on the necessary aspects that the teacher should know was studied, and the results of the population were analyzed considering 2,891 adolescent students from 4 Spanish-speaking countries, such as: Spain, Peru, Mexico and including a study in Ecuador and records a proportion of 5.5%, in accordance with the diagnostic prevalence, which ranges from 1 to 5% worldwide with a proportion of cases of 5.5% for eating disorders within the globally established range of percentages where it is determined between 1 and 5% of cases. The most common predisposing factor was personal dissatisfaction. These mental health conditions must be treated by an experienced multidisciplinary team, and the role of the most relevant teacher is based on the education of health and nutrition habits to avoid the onset of eating illness in adolescents.