Chapter 3 - Cognitive changes: Eating disorders

Question 1

What is an eating disorder? [2]

Answer 1

• Fear of weight gain
• Distorted body image

Question 2

What is Anorexia Nervosa? [2]

Answer 2

• Food restriction
• Behaviors to avoid weight gain

Question 3

What is Bulimia Nervosa? [3]

Answer 3

• Binge eating (eating a lot in a short period)
• Lack of control over eating
• Purging: Trying to “get rid of” the food by vomiting, using laxatives, or exercising too much.

Question 4

What is Binge Eating Disorder or EDNOS? [4]

Answer 4

• Binge eating
• No purging
• Happens at least once a week for 3 months
• Feelings of guilt/sadness/shame after eating too much

Question 5

What is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)? [3]

Answer 5

• Avoiding food: because of possible bad outcomes, like choking or getting sick.
• Worry, anxiety and sadness around eating
• Leads to undernourishment

Question 6

How common are eating disorders? [3]

Answer 6

• Young women: 5.5-17.9%
• Young men: 0.6-2.4%
• Canada: 10.1%

Question 7

What leads to eating disorders during adolescence? [4]

Answer 7

• Increased awareness of body image.
• Body dissatisfaction
• Rapid increase in body fat %: Leads to more worry and dissatisfaction about weight.
• Menarche (first period) is not directly linked to eating disorders

Question 8

How does self-esteem relate to eating disorders? [3]

Answer 8

• Dependent self-esteem: Self-worth relies on how others see you.
• Self-concept: How you see yourself.
• Self-evaluation: Judging yourself as worthy or not.

Question 9

What role do thoughts (cognition) play? [3]

Answer 9

Cognitive distortions: Inaccurate ways of thinking.

• Positive beliefs about worry: Thinking worrying helps solve problems.
• Negative beliefs about uncontrollable thoughts: Thinking bad things will happen if you don’t control thoughts and behavior.
• General negative beliefs: Believing you’ll be punished for not being perfect.

Question 10

What is the Tripartite Influence Model? [1]

Answer 10

Explains how social factors influence body image and eating disorders

Question 11

What are the [3] key parts of the Tripartite Influence Model?

Answer 11

• Internalization of the thin ideal: Believing being thin is the ideal way to look.
• Social comparison: Comparing your body to others, especially to people who are thin.
• Thin-ideal schema: A mental image that thinness equals beauty and success.
  
  • Strongly linked to anorexia.

Question 12

What is the Dual-Pathway Model? [1]

Answer 12

A model that shows two ways that social pressure can lead to eating disorders.

Question 13

What are the [2] pathways in the Dual-Pathway Model?

Answer 13

1. Internalization of the thin ideal
2. Social comparison

• Both lead to the development of a thin-ideal schema (mental image where thinness is valued).

Question 14

How does mass media affect eating disorders? [1]

Answer 14

Sociocultural influences: Pressure to be thin has increased with social media.

Question 15

What does the evidence show in mass media? - Experimental studies [2]

Answer 15

• People shown thin-ideal images (like in magazines or TV ads) feel worse about their bodies compared to neutral images.
• Increases in mood problems and body dissatisfaction.

Question 16

What does the evidence show in mass media? - Cross-sectional studies [1]

Answer 16

More time spent on media = higher chance of believing in the thin ideal.

Question 17

What does the evidence show in mass media? - Longitudinal studies [1]

Answer 17

Early exposure to thin body ideals leads to more body image problems later.

Question 18

How does family influence EDs? [3]

Answer 18

• Parental attitudes: How parents feel about eating and being thin can affect kids.
• Parental expectations: Pressure from parents to look a certain way or monitor their child’s eating habits.
• Abuse: Sexual and physical abuse can also be a factor.

Question 19

How do peers influence eating disorders? [3]

Answer 19

• “Fat talk”: Conversations about weight and body image can lead to unhealthy behaviors.
• Peer behaviors: Imitating friends who purge or diet.
• Teasing: Being teased about weight can lead to body dissatisfaction.

Question 20

Are eating disorders more common in boys or girls? [1]

Answer 20

Less common in boys than girls, but still serious (about half as many cases).

Question 21

How do Eds affect boys? [2]

Answer 21

• Athletics: Boys in sports are more likely to develop eating disorders.
• Late vs. early maturing: Late-maturing boys are more at risk for eating disorders compared to early-maturing boys, while the opposite is true for girls.

Question 22

What about EDs in sexual minority youth? [1]

Answer 22

LGBTQ+ youth may have a higher risk of eating disorders due to additional social pressures.

Question 23

What is the Biopsychosocial Model? [1]

Answer 23

A model that shows how biological, psychological, and social factors all work together to affect health, including eating disorders.

Question 24

Why do eating disorders emerge in adolescence? [2]

Answer 24

• Coincide with biological and cognitive changes during puberty.
• Influenced by individual-level factors, family and peer pressures.