Eating Disorders

Question 1

which gender is most likely to develop an eating disorder?

Answer 1

females (ratio 9:1 females-males)

Question 2

what other condition is sometimes found in patients with eating disorders?

Answer 2

Type 1 DM

Question 3

what is the peak onset of eating disorders in women?

Answer 3

mid teens to mid twenties

Question 4

what is the screening tool used to diagnose an eating disorder?

Answer 4

SCOFF questionnaire

Question 5

what are the questions in the SCOFF questionnaire?

Answer 5

• make yourself Sick because uncomfortably full?
• worry you have lost Control over how much you eat?
• recently lost more than One stone in a 3mth period?
• believe you’re Fat when others say too thin?
• Food dominate your life?

Question 6

what BMI constitutes anorexia?

Answer 6

lower than 17.5 or 15% lower than ideal body weight

Question 7

name a few symptoms of anorexia nervosa

Answer 7

cold intolerance
poor circulation
constipation/bloating
delayed puberty
dry skin
fainting/hypotension
early satiety
primary/secondary amoenorrhea
weakness/fatigue
short stature
scalp hair loss/Lanugo hair
osteopenia/osteoporosis

Question 8

what scan is done as baseline when someone with anorexia nervosa comes in?

Answer 8

DEXA scan - measure bone density

Question 9

what characterises bulimia nervosa?

Answer 9

episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviour (purging or non-purging)

Question 10

how often do binge eating/compensatory behaviour need to occur in order to diagnose bulimia nervosa?

Answer 10

2+ per week for 3 months

Question 11

name some symptoms of bulimia nervosa

Answer 11

mouth sores
pharyngeal trauma
dental caries
heartburn
chest pain
oesophageal rupture
muscle cramps
weakness
bloody diarrhoea
irregular periods
fainting
swollen parotid grands
hypotension

Question 12

why can bulimia nervosa be mistaken with mumps?

Answer 12

because they can get very swollen parotid glands

Question 13

what is the difference between bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder?

Answer 13

there is no compensatory behaviour in binge eating disorder

Question 14

Name a few mechanisms of calorie avoidance used by people with an eating disorder

Answer 14

-

Question 15

Name a few mechanisms of calorie burning used by people with an eating disorder

Answer 15

-

Question 16

what is anorexia nervosa?

Answer 16

excessive weight loss +/- compensatory behaviour for any calorie intake

Question 17

name some strategies employed by people with eating disorders to avoid calorie intake

Answer 17

diets
not touching certain foods
food spoiling
coming up with allergies and intolerances
having rules about always finishing to eat last
eating very slowly
using appetite suppressants

Question 18

name some strategies employed by people with eating disorders to get rid of calories

Answer 18

vomiting
overexercise/overactivity
chewing food then spitting out
cooling
medication abuse

Question 19

name a few psychological consequences of eating disorders

Answer 19

extreme overvaluation of low weight
depression/anxiety - harder to treat
loss of central coherence
inability to see bigger picture
narrowed focus of interest
inability to interpret emotions of others
ineffective coping mechanisms later in life

Question 20

what is the main social consequence of eating disorders?

Answer 20

isolation

Question 21

name a few physical consequences of eating disorders

Answer 21

heart problems
impaired immune system
low resilience and repair
impaired growth

Question 22

name a few factors which may predispose someone to develop eating disorders

Answer 22

genetics
depression/anxiety
low self-esteem
perfectionism
obsessionality

Question 23

name a few factors which could precipitate an eating disorder

Answer 23

puberty
dieting
stressful life events
increased exercise

Question 24

name a few factors which could perpetuate an eating disorder

Answer 24

consequences of starvation syndrome
high expressed emotion (family, school staff)
obsessionality
body-checking

Question 25

what are two consequences of starvation syndrome?

Answer 25

delayed gastric emptying - person may interpret fullness as being fat
narrowed focus of interest - food is all they think about

Question 26

how can eating disorders be managed?

Answer 26

• refeeding
• CBT/Mantra/IPT
• antidepressants high dose (fluoxetine/sertraline)
• antipsychotics (olanzapine)
• family involvement

Question 27

how long is the average recovery period from anorexia nervosa?

Answer 27

6-7 years