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I still remember learning the digestive system in fifth grade science class, probably because my father made me memorize the vocabulary words: “absorption: the passage of simple substances into the internal parts of a plant or animal; assimilation: the changing of simple substances into substances that the body can use.” Simplistic explanations compared to what I learned 16 years later in medical school but a good opportunity for a 10-year-old to wet her appetite for further education.
This issue of the OFP will appetize us with a more sophisticated exploration of the alimentary tract and its associated systems.
First on the plate, Richard Terry, DO, and his fellow authors review a “Family-Based Approach to Anorexia Ner- vosa,” in which we hear of how this clinically confusing disorder may be assisted by harnessing one of a patient’s greatest assets, the family system. Peter Zajac, DO, reminds our patients of another threat to healthy nutrition with his patient education handout “Energy Drinks.”
Even with a healthy pattern of ingestion, the process thereafter may not continue smoothly. Thomas Shima, DO, will guide us through the challenge of “Diagnosis and Man-
agement of Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” and Jonathan Parker, DO, and Nichole J. Mirocha, DO, MHS, will de- scribe a case of successful treatment of functional dyspepsia using osteopathic manipulative treatment, reminding us that we have tools for facilitating healthy physiology beyond pharmacology. John Kowalcyzk, DO, will discuss “State of the Art Office Evaluation and Treatment Options for an Overactive Bladder.”
Former Editor-in-Chief Jay Shubrook, DO, FACOFP, and current Associate Editor Amy Keenum, DO, will dis- cuss the kind of chewing and digesting that occur above the tentorium, as they explain the process of “How to Peer Review a Scientific Article.”
After all this stimulating education, osteopathic manip- ulation, and energy drink consumption, we may find it difficult to lay our heads down and rest. Faisal Qazi, DO, and Eric Schluderberg, BS, explore opportunities to im- prove our workup and intervention when sleep is compro- mised in “Insomnia: Assessment and Treatment Review.”
We at the OFP hope you enjoy ruminating over our buffet of articles in this digestive system issue. Bon appétit!
Merideth Norris, DO, FACOFP