Common psych histories - eating disorder

Question 1

What would you want to ask about in someone with a suspected eating disorder?

Answer 1

• Avoidance of weight gain
• Need to lose weight
• Look in the mirror a lot
• Efforts to lose weight - vomting, laxative, exercise
• Binge eating/fasting
• Menstrual cycle disturbance
• Self harm and risk

Question 2

What would you always want to screen for in someone with a suspected eating disorder?

Answer 2

• Depression
• Risk

Question 3

What features associated with a suspected easting disorder would suggest anorexia nervosa as a cause?

Answer 3

• BMI < 17.5
• Fear of weight gain
• Feel fat when thin
• Efforts to lose weight - diuretics/laxatives, vomiting, excessive exercise
• Consequential features - amenorrhoea, developmental delay, myopathy, poor sleep, GI symptoms

Question 4

What are consequential symptoms that you would check for in anorexia nervosa?

Answer 4

• Amenorhoea
• Developmental delay
• Myopathy
• Poor sleep
• GI symptoms

Question 5

What features assocaited with eating disroder would suggest bulimia nervosa as the cause?

Answer 5

• BMI > 17.5
• Regular Binge eating
• Preoccupation with body weight control
• Means of avoiding weight gain - starvation, vomting, laxatives, exercise