Eating Disorders

Question 1

3 most common eating disorders

Answer 1

binge eating disorder (BED), anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN)

Question 2

2 primary concerns in EDs

Answer 2

maladaptive eating behaviors and physiological consequences, not BMI

Question 3

BMI

Answer 3

a calculation based on binary sex, height, and weight that classifies a person as severely underweight, underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese

Question 4

3 primary characteristics of binge eating disorder

Answer 4

frequent episodes of binge eating, sense of lack of control over eating, no behaviors to prevent weight gain

Question 5

Behaviors associated with BED

Answer 5

eating for emotional comfort; agitation during binges; distracting or dissociating during binge; self-disgust, guilt, or depression after binge; intense cravings for certain foods

Question 6

2 most common restrictive/purging EDs

Answer 6

anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Question 7

2 shared characteristics of AN and BN

Answer 7

intense and pathological fear of becoming overweight; relentless and sometimes deadly pursuit of thinness

Question 8

3 primary characteristics of AN

Answer 8

fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain a healthy weight, distorted view of self or role of body in self-worth

Question 9

2 types of AN

Answer 9

restricting and binge-eating/purging

Question 10

Problems associated with AN

Answer 10

dietary restrictions; eating rituals; hoarding, concealing, discarding food; preoccupation with food but anxiety about handling it; efforts to conceal weight loss

Question 11

Refeeding syndrome

Answer 11

death from overeating if you’ve been starving

Question 12

Medical complications of AN

Answer 12

heart arrhythmia, kidney damage, renal failure, suicide, death (has the highest rate among psychological disorders)

Question 13

2 most common causes of death in those with AN

Answer 13

starvation, suicide

Question 14

When does suicide risk increase in those with AN?

Answer 14

when they begin gaining weight and are no longer at a low enough weight, and when they are older at the first time they get intervention

Question 15

5 primary characteristics of bulimia nervosa

Answer 15

frequent episodes of binge eating, lack of control over eating, recurrent compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain, having average weight or being slightly overweight, distorted view of self-worth

Question 16

2 types of BN

Answer 16

purging (laxatives, diuretics, emesis) and nonpurging (fasting, excessive exercise)

Question 17

3 components of the cycle occuring in BN

Answer 17

restricted eating motivated by desire to be thin leads to bingeing or eating restricted foods, which leads to compensatory behaviors…

Question 18

Behaviors associated with bulimia

Answer 18

preoccupation with food and/or weight, severe self-criticism, public dietary restriction, frequent washroom visits after meals, impulsivity (alcohol, decisions, spending, relationships)

Question 19

Medical complications of BN

Answer 19

electrolyte imbalances, hypokalemia or low potassium, damage to heart, hands, throat, teeth

Question 20

Age of onset for AN, BN, and BED

Answer 20

16-20 for AN, 21-24 for BN, 30-50 for BED

Question 21

What is the most critical element in AN and BN?

Answer 21

body image dissatisfaction

Question 22

Sociocultural factors of body image

Answer 22

awareness of thin ideal in the media, internalization of thin ideal, perceived pressure to be thin

Question 23

Which EDs have diagnostic crossovers?

Answer 23

back and forth between restrictive AN and binge/purge AN; binge/purge AN leads to BN; back and forth between BN and BED; BED leads to bulimia

Question 24

Comorbidities of EDs

Answer 24

depression, OCD, substance abuse disorders, personality disorders

Question 25

Biological factors of EDs

Answer 25

high heritability in both AN and BN, body dissatisfaction and desire for thinness; frontal and temporal cortex dysfunction (body image), lesions in hypothalamus (lack of appetite), bodies resist weight change, low serotonin during ED and high levels in recovery

Question 26

Set-point theory

Answer 26

our bodies want to maintain homeostasis in terms of weight and resist change

Question 27

Psychosocial factors of EDs

Answer 27

perfectionism, excessive self-focus and increased sensitivity to criticism, dieting, cognitive rigidity in terms of self-worth, negative emotionality or neuroticism

Question 28

Social factors of EDs

Answer 28

child sexual abuse, family characteristics, internalized western ideal of thinness

Question 29

Examples of family characteristics that can cause EDs

Answer 29

intolerance of negative affect, propriety, parent over-control, poor conflict resolution skills, preoccupations with thinness/appearance

Question 30

Family systems theory

Answer 30

unclear whether enmeshment, overprotectiveness, rigidity, and conflict are part of the cause or result of EDs