San Diego Eating Disorder Program With 75 Percent Remission Rate Being Promoted In Mexico By Swedish Trade Council

Main Category: Eating Disorders
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Anxiety / Stress;  Public Health
Article Date: 24 Jul 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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In the U.S., Mexico and around the world, approximately three women out of every 100 will develop anorexia or bulimia, and some studies indicate that as many as 20 percent of anorexics may die of the disease. With these kinds of statistics as a spur, the Swedish Trade Council is "exporting" a highly successful treatment for eating disorders developed by scientists at the famed Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and currently available to people in the U.S. through the Mandometer Clinic in San Diego. Mandometer and the Swedish Trade Council have developed a referral program in Mexico to attract patients for treatment at the San Diego clinic.

According to Louis Maletz, MD, medical director of the Mandometer Clinic in San Diego, "Families of people with eating disorders around the world have often tried everything to get treatment that really works. They are willing to travel to get that kind of help. Introducing our clinic to patients and their families in Mexico, where there is a significant problem, can provide hope to people who are much in need of it."

The Mandometer Treatment, which is a standard of care in Sweden and also available in other European countries, Australia and the U.S., has been shown in clinical trials published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to have a 75 percent remission rate, even for the severely ill after 12 months of treatment, with only a 10 percent relapse rate over five years. While most traditional treatments for eating disorders have not been studied clinically, the relapse rate for such treatment is greater than 50 percent within a year after what is termed remission.

The Mandometer Treatment is unique in that it is behaviorally based and uses no drugs, in part because many drugs are appetite suppressants. It focuses on reversing the symptoms of starvation which include anxiety, depression, obsessive behavior, body image issues and others by re-training patients how to eat normally using a combination of a unique computer technology (the Mandometer), body warming techniques, and counseling in all types of social skills. Patients also receive complete medical supervision. Due to the high rate of remission, the treatment cost is approximately 50 percent of many traditional programs.

According to Jo Gallaugher, chief executive officer for Mandometer in the U.S., "One psychologist in Australia, after observing results in our clinic there, called Mandometer Treatment on par with the invention of penicillin. While I may not want to go quite that far, I will say that we are eager and delighted to work with patients, their families and doctors from Mexico, the U.S. or anywhere else in the world where we can be of help. This unique treatment is an important next step for clinicians seeking a truly successful solution for their patients. We look forward to partnering with them."

The Mandometer Treatment Clinic
http://www.mandometer.us