Professor Susan Sawyer, director of The Royal Children's Hospital Centre for Adolescent Health, said the study highlights that higher-weight adolescents who
have lost a lot of weight require careful medical assessment.

'Eating disorders can emerge zhen de shou at any weight,' she said.

'Clinicians call for a higher level of suspicion in regards to a possible restrictive eating disorder in all patients who have rapidly dropped a few pounds
or lost a lot of weight?aeven if the teenager isn't underweight at the time they present.

'There is poor understanding by health care professionals, teachers and groups of the risks of rapid, severe weight loss - at all weights.

'Most health professionals think "underweight" once they consider anorexia.

'It is therefore unsurprising that many of these adolescents were very unwell by the time they were eventually admitted to hospital.'

Lead researcher Melissa Whitelaw said the dramatic increase in the proportion of adolescents admitted to hospital who weren't yet underweight reflects
increasing rates of obesity in adolescents.

'Obesity and eating disorders was once regarded as distinct health issues with little overlap in patient populations,' she said.

'This data shows that we need to be much more aware of the potential risks of eating disorders emerging in adolescents who're overweight.'

The study demonstrated slim forte double power that even though some patients had been advised with a medical expert to lose weight, none appeared to be professionally supported to
lose weight at that time they presented with an eating disorder.

Researchers said this highlights the need for supervision of appropriate weight loss efforts in overweight adolescents.