Eating Disorders Flashcards
3 most common eating disorders
binge eating disorder (BED), anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN)
2 primary concerns in EDs
maladaptive eating behaviors and physiological consequences, not BMI
BMI
a calculation based on binary sex, height, and weight that classifies a person as severely underweight, underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese
3 primary characteristics of binge eating disorder
frequent episodes of binge eating, sense of lack of control over eating, no behaviors to prevent weight gain
Behaviors associated with BED
eating for emotional comfort; agitation during binges; distracting or dissociating during binge; self-disgust, guilt, or depression after binge; intense cravings for certain foods
2 most common restrictive/purging EDs
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
2 shared characteristics of AN and BN
intense and pathological fear of becoming overweight; relentless and sometimes deadly pursuit of thinness
3 primary characteristics of AN
fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain a healthy weight, distorted view of self or role of body in self-worth
2 types of AN
restricting and binge-eating/purging
Problems associated with AN
dietary restrictions; eating rituals; hoarding, concealing, discarding food; preoccupation with food but anxiety about handling it; efforts to conceal weight loss
Refeeding syndrome
death from overeating if you’ve been starving
Medical complications of AN
heart arrhythmia, kidney damage, renal failure, suicide, death (has the highest rate among psychological disorders)
2 most common causes of death in those with AN
starvation, suicide
When does suicide risk increase in those with AN?
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
5 primary characteristics of bulimia nervosa
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
2 types of BN
purging (laxatives, diuretics, emesis) and nonpurging (fasting, excessive exercise)
3 components of the cycle occuring in BN
restricted eating motivated by desire to be thin leads to bingeing or eating restricted foods, which leads to compensatory behaviors…
Behaviors associated with bulimia
preoccupation with food and/or weight, severe self-criticism, public dietary restriction, frequent washroom visits after meals, impulsivity (alcohol, decisions, spending, relationships)
Medical complications of BN
electrolyte imbalances, hypokalemia or low potassium, damage to heart, hands, throat, teeth
Age of onset for AN, BN, and BED
16-20 for AN, 21-24 for BN, 30-50 for BED
What is the most critical element in AN and BN?
body image dissatisfaction
Sociocultural factors of body image
awareness of thin ideal in the media, internalization of thin ideal, perceived pressure to be thin
Which EDs have diagnostic crossovers?
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
Comorbidities of EDs
depression, OCD, substance abuse disorders, personality disorders
Biological factors of EDs
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
Set-point theory
our bodies want to maintain homeostasis in terms of weight and resist change
Psychosocial factors of EDs
perfectionism, excessive self-focus and increased sensitivity to criticism, dieting, cognitive rigidity in terms of self-worth, negative emotionality or neuroticism
Social factors of EDs
child sexual abuse, family characteristics, internalized western ideal of thinness
Examples of family characteristics that can cause EDs
intolerance of negative affect, propriety, parent over-control, poor conflict resolution skills, preoccupations with thinness/appearance
Family systems theory
unclear whether enmeshment, overprotectiveness, rigidity, and conflict are part of the cause or result of EDs
