November 15, 2021
We are writing to express our views on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) draft recommendation statement regarding screening for eating disorders in asymptomatic adolescents and adults.
The National Center for Health Research is a nonprofit think tank that conducts, analyzes, and scrutinizes research on a range of health issues, with particular focus on which prevention strategies and treatments are most effective for which patients and consumers. We do not accept funding from companies that make products that are the subject of our work, so we have no conflicts of interest.
We strongly agree with the USPSTF’s “I” grade recommendation that there is insufficient evidence in order to assess the benefits and risks of universal screening for eating disorders in asymptomatic adolescents and adults. There is simply no evidence that directly addresses the benefits of universal screening, nor is there direct evidence regarding the harms.
We agree with the USPSTF review specifying the personal traits that research shows are associated with a higher risk for eating disorders, such as female sex; a history of childhood trauma; and comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety.