Eating Disorders

Question 1

What are the essential features of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 1

1. that the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight, and exhibits a significant disturbance in the perception of the shape or size of his or her body
2. postmenarcheal females with this disorder are amenorrheic

Question 2

What is criterion A for anorexia nervosa?

Answer 2

A. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g. weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain during a period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected).

Question 3

What is criterion B for anorexia nervosa?

Answer 3

B. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.

Question 4

What is criterion C for anorexia nervosa?

Answer 4

C. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the surrent low body weight.

Question 5

What is criterion D for anorexia nervosa?

Answer 5

D. In postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea, i.e., the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles (a woman is considered to have amenorrhea if her periods occur only following hormone (estrogen) administration).

Question 6

What are the subtypes of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 6

restricting type and binge-eating/purging type

Question 7

What is the restricting subtype of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 7

during the current episode of anorexia nervosa, the person has not regularly engaged in binge-eating or purging behavior, like self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas

Question 8

What is the binge-eating/purging type of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 8

during the current episode of anorexia nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in binge-eating or purging behavior (like self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas)

Question 9

Some of the features of anorexia nervosa are part of the criteria sets for which disorders?

Answer 9

social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder

Question 10

How can anorexia be differentiated from social phobia?

Answer 10

The social fears extend beyond eating behavior with social phobia.

Question 11

How can anorexia be differentiated from obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Answer 11

With OCD, obsessions and compulsions exist outside of food. These can be comorbid, though.

Question 12

How can anorexia be differentiated from body dysmorphic disorder?

Answer 12

While both are characterized by a preoccupation with an imagined defect in bodily appearance, an additional diagnosis of BDD can be made if the distortion is unrelated to body shape and size.

Question 13

How can anorexia nervosa be differentiated from bulimia nervosa?

Answer 13

Individuals with bulimia nervosa are able to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal level.

Question 14

What are the essential features of bulimia nervosa?

Answer 14

• binge eating and inappropriate compensatory methods to prvent weight gain
• individuals’ self-evaluation is excessively influenced by body shape and weight

Question 15

What is criterion A for bulimia?

Answer 15

recurrent episodes of binge eating

Question 16

What two things characterize binge eating?

Answer 16

1. eating (within any discrete period of time) an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar time period under similar circumstances
2. a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

Question 17

What is criterion B for bulimia nervosa?

Answer 17

B. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviorin order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.

Question 18

What is criterion C for bulimia nervosa?

Answer 18

C. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months.

Question 19

What are criteria D and E for bulimia nervosa?

Answer 19

D. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.

E. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa.

Question 20

What are the subtypes of bulimia?

Answer 20

purging and nonpurging

Question 21

What is the purging type of bulimia?

Answer 21

during the current episode of bulimia nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas

Question 22

What is the nonpurging type of bulimia?

Answer 22

during the current episode of bulimia nervosa, the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting or excessive exercise, but has not regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas