Eating Disorders Flashcards
1
Q
Body image
A
- Evolution favors signs of health and fertility
- Trend over past 50 years towards thinner ideal physical for women (and men)
- mass media constantly shows “ideal” physique, advertisements for unhealthy food, and advertisements for weight loss plans.
2
Q
Shared characteristics of anorexia and bulimia
A
- intense preoccupation with food
- intense fear of weight gain
- obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior
- lack of interoceptive awareness
- confused about what emotion they’re feeling
- don’t know what’s going on inside me.
- confused about whether or not I’m hungry.
- serious health consequences
3
Q
Primary criteria for anorexia
A
- failure to maintain adequate weight (minimally healthy) determined by BMI
- weight loss does not reduce fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
- weight loss is celebrated, weight gain is seen as evidence of personal failure.
- medical consequences of low weight are denied.
- distorted perception of body weight and size
- can be overall or only certain parts
- self esteem is tied to perceived body weight and size
- lack of recognition of seriousness of low body weight.
4
Q
Restricting type of anorexia
A
- dieting, fasting, exercise
* no binging or purging behaviors in last 3 months
5
Q
Binge-eating/purging type
A
- binge-episode of loss of control and consumption of objectively large amounts of food.
- purge- self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas
- higher rates of impulsivity present in this group
6
Q
Other prominent anorexia features
A
- Depressive features
- obsessive-compulsive tendencies
- common targets include food body shape/weight, checking behaviors.
- strong need for control, particularly in one’s eating environment.
- ritualistic eating behaviors, not eating in front of others
- rigidity and perfectionistic - inflexible thinking
- feelings of ineffectiveness
- limited social spontaneity
- overly restrained emotional expression
- excessive exercise (compulsive in nature and often continues despite injury)
7
Q
Risk factors for anorexia
A
- temperament
- OCD, anxiety
- environmental
- actors, models, dancers, gymnasts
- genetic and physiological
8
Q
Physiological and medical consequences of anorexia
A
- damage to heart and brain
- lethargy
- lower calcium- brittle bones
- hypothyroidism
- brittle nails and hair
- lanugo
- dehydration -> constipation
- mild anemia
- 2-6% end up dying due to illness
9
Q
biological perspective on anorexia
A
- genetic component
- dysfunction in hypothalamus
- weight-set point
- unbalanced serotonin and norepinephrine
- receptors involved with eating, anxiety, depression
- sadly, not eating lowers global serotonin levels, reducing obsessions and feelings of anxiety
10
Q
Behavioral perspective on anorexia
A
- Classical conditioning
- eating associated with unacceptable body change
- family gathering for meals becomes aversive
- Learning
- eating goes down, weight goes down
- exercise goes up, weight goes down
- attention for initial weight loss
- Modeling behavior
* learning techniques form friends, teammates, TV, internet
11
Q
Frequent family dynamics in anorexia
A
- perfectionistic parents
- overprotective, rigid
- over-involved parents
- domineering, high sense of importance placed on external evaluation
- parent defining child’s need, rather than child
- restrictive eating and purging as means of exerting control
- child’s sense of self enmeshed with parents
- lack of conflict resolution
- open/expressed conflict levels may be low
- less conflict following successful Tx of eating disorder
12
Q
Primary criteria for bulimia
A
- Regularly engages in binge eating episodes and compensatory behaviors.
- binge eating: eating objectively large amounts of food over two hour time period. Accompanied by a feeling of loss of control over eating.
- compensatory behaviors: inappropriate behavior to try to prevent weight gain (self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, use of other meds, fasting, excessive exercise.)
- Self-evaluation unduly influenced by weight and shape
- does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia.
13
Q
Risk factors for bulimia
A
- temperament
- weight concerns, low self esteem, depressive symptoms, social anxiety, childhood anxiety disorders
- childhood obesity
- environment
- internalization of thin ideal, CPA/CSA
- genes and physiology
14
Q
Biological problems from bulimia
A
- stomach rupture
- loss of vital minerals (potassium) -> heart failure
- stomach acid corrodes teeth and esophagus
- scarring to backs of hands
- amenorhea
15
Q
Biological perspective on etiology of bulimia
A
- genetic component
- dysfunction in hypothalamus
- low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine
- associated with binging
- SSRI’s increase 5-HT activity, counter binging and purging.
