The Eating Disorder Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is hopeful that new national guidelines for the screening of adolescents will lead to better outcomes.

But ultimately the identification of such disorders starts at home, says executive director Paul Thomey.

Last month, the Canadian Pediatric Society released guidelines indicating that physicians should be screening young people for eating disorders during routine checkups.

Thomey welcomes those guidelines, but notes that family doctors are only the second line of defence, and identification of such disorders starts at home.

He says parents should look for signs such as unexplained or significant weight loss, younger children not reaching height or weight expectations for their age group, delays in puberty, and restrictive eating patterns.

He says parents should contact their health care provider immediately if such warning signs are present.