Eating Disorders Flashcards
8 Common myths of EDs
- not serious, lifestyle choice/about vanity
- dieting is a normal part of life
- They are cries for attention or a phase
- Families are blamed for ED’s
- Only white, middle class females, particularly teens are affected
- You can tell by looking at someone they have an ED
- They are trivial or benign
- ED’s are for life
3 categories of EDs
- Anorexia nervosa (AN)
- Bulimia nervosa (BN)
- Binge eating disorders (BED)
Core aspect of EDs
Significant disturbances in eating behaviours and related affect and cognition
History of AN
in 60’s and 70’s marked by drive for thinness
- emphasized familial and developmental aspects of the disorder
- cases increased
Today: biopsychosocial factor model of AN prevails
- cases stable, AOO decreased
3 core symptoms of AN
1, restriction of energy intake
- leads to sig. low body weight
2. Intense fear of gaining weight or behaviour that interferes with gaining weight
3. Disturbance in experience in body weight or shape, don’t recognize seriousness of low body weight
Amenorrhea
Lack of mensuration
- no longer a criteria of AN
Subtypes of AN
- Restricted type: dieting, fasting and excessive excursive
- linked to anxiety - Binge-eating/purge type
- linked to impulsivity
BMI and AN
a severity specifier
Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
all criteria are met, except the weight is in normal range
- 5%-12%
Prevalence of AN
1% 10:1 female to male ratio - increasing in males too AOO: 13 years old - increasing in childhood and middle age
Mortality risk with AN
Highest mortality risk among all mental health disorders
- 11x more likely to die than peers
AN comorbidity
- Mood disease
- Anxiety disorder
- OCD
- SUD, esp. alcohol
- Metabolic disorders
AN relapse
30% within a year, 20% present a chronic course
AN recovery
Possible, but takes time
- 70% fully recovered within 20 years of treatment
AN organic damage
- Lower grey & white matter volume (cog deficits)
- Reduced bone density
Recovery is possible
Social factors of AN
Drive for thinness
- mediated by internet and magazine exposure, the internalization and comparison
Pressure to diet, which could be average parental pressure
Psychological factors of AN
- high perfectionism
- high anxiety
- low self-esteem
Genetic factors of AN
4-6x risk for AN if 1st degree relative has an AN
Monozy 33%-84% vs dizygotic
Genes alter serotonin and dopamine functioning (share risk of metabolic disorders)
AN treatment
CBT for adults
- works on maladaptive thoughts, feelings and behaviours
Family-focused treatment (for teens)
- parents in charge of restoring eating patterns
- in clinical trial, 30-40% recover
Bulimia Nervosa history
Not known until the 80s
- considered a hidden epidemic
Has a stead prevalence rate over time and decreasing age of onset
DSM-5 criteria for BN
Recurrent episodes of binge eating
- recurrent compensatory Behavior
- at least once a week for three months
Prevalence of BN
3% to 5% of the population
- most common in females
- AOO 16 to 19 years
- Mortality rate 3.9%
Comorbidity of BN
- Mood disorders
- anxiety disorders
- SUD
- BPD
Physical complications of BN
Bloating, acid reflux, tooth decay, swelling of salivary gland’s, electrolyte imbalances, metabolic disturbances, impaired bowel functioning
