As the pediatric behavioral health landscape continues to evolve in Southwest Florida, Kids’ Minds Matter has identified a need for more specialized services to address an array of areas such as autism, endocrinology or substance use.
Lee Physician Group
Pediatric Adolescent Medicine
“To develop the pediatric behavioral health program, we have found we need clinicians that specialize in certain areas,” said Mark Horton, pediatric system director for Lee Health. “It’s amazing that the more you build, the more you find that there is a need out there.”
As a starting point, in October 2025, Kids’ Minds Matter helped launch a clinic focused on one of the most critical specialty areas, disordered eating, which affects 22% of children and adolescents globally.*
An Increasing Concern
When applied to the Southwest Florida region, this statistic means that out of the 16,117 total children and adolescents who were seen at Golisano Children’s Hospital last year, more than 3,500 may be experiencing a form of disordered eating.
According to Dr. Lance Nelson, an adolescent medicine physician at Golisano Children’s Hospital, the pandemic contributed to a 150% to 200% rise in referrals and admissions for eating disorders. Experts such as Dr. Nelson attribute the problem to factors such as social media and online meeting tools such as Zoom, which make people more conscious of their appearance. “If someone has a distorted image of themselves, that can be triggering to see yourself on camera all day long,” he said.
Research also shows an increase in disordered eating among boys, who now make up 25% of cases. Previously boys represented only 10% of cases.
A Lifesaving Solution
Currently, Dr. Nelson’s clinic sees roughly seven new referrals every week, presenting an opportunity to meet the needs of their adolescent patients earlier — before symptoms escalate into a crisis. He emphasizes the seriousness of the situation because, of all mental health conditions, disordered eating has the second highest mortality rate. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, the percentage of people with disordered eating who attempt suicide is an astounding 25% for anorexia, 31% for bulimia and 23% for binge eating.
“Sadly, every 52 minutes someone passes away from disordered eating, and that could be because of cardiovascular complications or suicide related to the disorder,” said Dr. Nelson. “Without getting the proper care, eating disorders don’t just naturally go away so you need a multi-disciplinary team to care for these patients.”
A Starting Point
At Golisano Children’s Hospital, the new eating disorders team – funded by Kids’ Minds Matter – includes medical providers such as Dr. Nelson and his PA, along with a dietician and a therapist.
“Prior to starting our program, Southwest Florida was a desert for eating disorder care,” he adds. “But just because the providers aren’t there doesn’t mean the patients aren’t. I’m really glad we’ve started this program, and we’re continuing to expand services, thanks to the generosity of this community.”
The Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine office is located at 9671 Gladiolus Drive, Suite 109 in Fort Myers. If you or someone you know has a child in need of services for disordered eating, call (239) 343-6788. Click here to learn more.
Dr. Nelson also recommends these valuable online resources:
FEAST Eating Disorders: Home – F.E.A.S.T.
NEDA: Home – National Eating Disorders Association
Support Specialty Care
Learn about how you can help bring specialized care to Southwest Florida and support Kids’ Minds Matter.
* López-Gil JF, García-Hermoso A, Smith L, et al. Global Proportion of Disordered Eating in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis . JAMA Pediatr. 2023;177(4):363–372. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.5848
Kids’ Minds Matter does not provide direct mental health therapy or care. Children or adults experiencing a medical or mental health emergency should contact 911 or go to the closest emergency room immediately. For more information about accessing services, visit Resources.