Eating Disorders

Question 1

1. What are eating disorders?

Answer 1

Being overweight, dieting and dissatisfaction with one’s body, and status in a higher social class seem to be the primary risk factors for developing an eating disorder.

Question 2

2. What are the types of eating disorders?

Answer 2

1. Anorexia nervosa

2. Bulimia nervosa

Question 3

3. What are the essential features of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 3

Essential features:

1. Refuses to maintain weight at or above minimally normal weight for age and height (body weight is less than 85% of that expected)
2. Desperately fearful of gaining weight or becoming “fat”
3. Disturbance in perception of body weight or shape, and denial that present low weight is seriously dangerous
4. Absence of at least 3 or more consecutive menstrual cycles (amenorrhea) in women of post menarche status

Question 4

4. What are the subtypes of Anorexia nervosa?

Answer 4

There are 2 basic subtypes based on the method used to limit calorie intake. They are:

1. Restricting type: the person severely limits caloric intake
2. Binge eating/purging type: the person regularly engages in weight control behaviors such as self-induced vomiting and/or misuse of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics

Question 5

5. What are biological factors associated with Anorexia?

Answer 5

Signs of the disorder:

1. Dry or scaly skin with a yellow texture
2. Intolerance of cold temperatures; for instance the person wears a heavy sweater on a hot summer day
3. Extensive weight loss that affects the skeletal structure or a stooped or hunched-over appearance
4. Dull, lifeless hair, a pale complexion, poor posture, and extreme thinness hidden under loose, baggy clothing

Question 6

6. What are the essential features of Bulimia nervosa?

Answer 6

Essential features:

1. Recurrent binge eating characterized by both of the following:
   - Eating occurs during a discrete period of time
   - Amount of food eaten is definitely larger than most would eat during a similar period of time
2. The person experiences a lack of control over eating during the episode
3. Cannot stop eating or control what they are eating
4. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory methods are used to prevent weight gain such as vomiting, fasting, exercise, excessive use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics
5. Binge eating and compensatory methods occur at least 2 times (or more) a week for 3 months
6. Body shape or weight unduly influence the way the person sees her- or himself
7. Does not occur during an episode of anorexia nervosa

Question 7

7. What are the subtypes of bulimia nervosa??

Answer 7

Subtype of bulimia nervosa

There are 2 basic subtypes based on the method used to limit weight gain. They are:

1. Purging type – the person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
2. Non-purging type – involves using other inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as fasting or excessive exercise, but not regular inducement of vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.

Question 8

8. What are the biological factors associated with Bulimia nervosa?

Answer 8

Signs of the disorder:

1. Heart damage from the chemical stimulation of vomiting, such as ingesting ipecac
2. Constipation or permanent colon damage due to excessive laxative abuse
3. Electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium levels which can disrupt signals to the heart causing irregular conduction and also kidney failure damage)

Question 9

9. Briefly explain the binge eating disorder

Answer 9

Currently a disorder that calls for further study, binge eating disorder is most like bulimia except there is no self-induced vomiting or laxative misuse

Question 10

10. What signs or symptoms of binge eating disorder?

Answer 10

Signs of the disorder:

1. Recurrent episodes of binge eating in which:
   - Eating occurs during a discrete period of time
   - Amount of food eaten is definitely larger than most would eat during a similar period of time
   - The person experiences a lack of control over eating during the episode
2. Three or more of the following:
   - Rapidly consuming food
   - Eating until feeling uncomfortable
   - Eating large quantities even when not hungry
   - Eating in private
   - Feeling disgusted or guilty
3. The binge eating results in marked distress such as unpleasant feelings during and after binge episodes
4. Binge eating occurs, on average, 2 times a week for at least 6 months
5. Binge eating does not occur in conjunction with regular use of inappropriate alleviative behaviors such as fasting

Question 11

11. What is the role of obesity? The role of obesity

o Not considered a psychiatric

Answer 11

The role of obesity
1. Not considered a psychiatric disorder, does not appear in the DSM

2. Define: having an excess of fat tissue and a weight of at least 20% over what is considered normal for a person’s age and build.
3. Can be characterized as mild, moderate or severe.
4. Obese persons may develop eating disorder, a small percentage of persons with bulimia nervosa are obese.