Eating Disorders Flashcards
Eating disorders are psychiatric conditions involving an unhealthy and distorted obsession with body image and food.
Name 3 main types.
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
Suggest 2 risk factors for eating disorders?
- Female gender
- Younger age
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
The person feels they are overweight despite evidence of normal or low body weight
Suggest 6 features of anorexia nervosa?
- Weight loss (e.g., 15% below expected or BMI less than 17.5)
- Amenorrhoea (absent periods)
- Lanugo hair (fine, soft hair across most of the body)
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Hypothermia (low body temperature)
- Mood changes, including anxiety and depression
Explain why amenorrhoea occurs in anorexia nervosa?
- Disruption of the HPG axis
- There is a lack of LH & FSH from the pituitary.
- Leading to reduced activity of the ovaries (hypogonadism)
True or false.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality of any psychiatric condition.
True
What is Bulimia Nervosa?
The condition involves binge eating, followed by purging by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives to prevent the calories from being absorbed.
Suggest 5 features of bulimia nervosa?
- Erosion of teeth
- Swollen salivary glands
- Mouth ulcers
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux
- Calluses on the knuckles where they have been scraped across the teeth (called Russell’s sign)
Alkalosis on the blood gas can indicate bulimia. Explain why.
Alkalosis can occur after repeated vomiting of hydrochloric acid from the stomach.
What is Binge eating disorder?
Binge eating disorder is characterised by episodes where the person excessively overeats, often as an expression of underlying psychological distress.
Suggets 7 features of binge eating?
- A planned binge involving “binge” foods
- Eating very quickly
- Unrelated to feelings of hunger
- Becoming uncomfortably full
- Eating in a dazed state
- The person typically feels a loss of control.
- It is not a restrictive condition like anorexia or bulimia, and patients are likely to be overweight.
Give 2 examples of restrictive eating disorder?
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
What blood results would you expect to see in restrictive eating disorders.
- Anaemia (low haemoglobin)
- Leucopenia (low white cell count)
- Thrombocytopenia (low platelets)
- Hypokalaemia (low potassium – due to vomiting or excessive laxatives)
Reduced bone marrow activity causes normocytic normochromic anaemia, leucopenia (with low neutrophils and low lymphocytes) and thrombocytopenia.
Eating disorders can be challenging to manage and will involve specialist services and a multidisciplinary team.
Suggest 3 ways to manage eating disorders.
- Self-help resources
- Psychological therapies (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy)
- Addressing other psychosocial factors, such as depression, anxiety and relationships
What is refeeding syndrome?
Refeeding syndrome occurs when someone with an extended severe nutritional deficit resumes eating.
