Session Eighteen (Eating Disorders) Flashcards
According to DSM-5, what are the 3 main eating disorders?
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating Disorder
Explain the difference between the 3 core EDs?
AN = People restrict their caloric intake but do NOT sustain a healthy body weight
BN = Marked by binging and purging
BED = Marked by binging without purging
At what age do eating disorders develop?
AN = early, mid or late adolescence (mean age = 18.9)
BN = late adolescence to early adulthood (mean age = 19.7)
BED = adult onset (mean age = 25.4)
How common are the respective eating disorders?
All reasonably common.
BED most common, followed by BN and AN least common.
Prevalences:
- AN = 1-2% in Europe
- BN = 1-2% in Europe
- BED = 3-10% in Europe
Distinguish between an eating disorder and an especially strict diet?
ED:
- Attempt to control life and emotions
- Self-esteem is based entirely on weight
- Weight loss is viewed as a way of achieving happiness
- Becoming thin is the primary concern, health is irrelevant
Dieting:
- Healthy dieting is an attempt to control weight
- Self-esteem is based on far more than your body image
- Weight loss is a way to improve health and appearance
- Goal is to lose weight but doing so in a way that optimises health
What are the criteria for an AN diagnosis?
- Significantly low body weight within the context of age, sex and physical health
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- Disturbed body perception
- BMI below 18.5
- Commonly associated with depression, OCD and autism
What are some consequences of the dietary deficiencies seen in AN?
- Amenorrhoea
- Low libido
- Growth retardation
- Osteopena
- Kidney damage
- Heart malfunction
What are the criteria for diagnosis of BN?
- Recurrent binges
- Excessive preoccupation with food, shape and weight
- Methods to compensate for over eating (vomiting/laxatives/ exercise)
- Atypical BN = BN + exercise
What is BN commonly associated with?
- Affective disorders
- Impulse control disorders
- Drug or alcohol dependence
- Anxiety disorders
- ADHD
What are the criteria for diagnosing BED
Recurrent binge eating with control loss + 3 of the following:
- Rapid consumption of food
- Eating until an unpleasant feeling of fullness is reached
- Eating without being hungry
- Frequent food intake with the consequences of embarrassment, disgust, feelings of guilt
- Suffering pressure due to one’s eating habits
Importantly: no compensatory measures for weight reduction
What are OSFED?
Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders:
- Atypical BN (non-purging BN)
- Atypical AN (An with a BMI above 18.5)
- Avoidant or`restrictive Food intake
- Bigorexia (muscle dysmorphophobia)
- Orthorexia
Give some examples of behaviours seen in ED patients?
- Food rituals
- Keeping cold to encourage calorie burning
- Self-induced vomiting and rumination
- laxative and enema use
- Rigorous exercise
- Purging
- Insulin misuse
- Steroid use
Give some examples of ED cognitions?
- Fear of fatness
- Food rules e.g. low fat, low carb, raw, clean…
- Over valuation of thinness or muscularity
How common are eating disorders in children?
Moderately common, becoming more so.
- 40% of 9 year olds and 80% of 12 year olds report dieting
- AN is most common actual diagnosis, can onset as young as 8
- ARFID is common in this age range
What is ARFID?
Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, extreme pickiness
Why are eating disorders in childhood especially concerning?
Long term physical complications, resulting from malnutrition:
- Growth delay
- Pubertal delay
- Dental problems
- Osteoperosis
- Fertility issues long term
What is distinct about eating disorders in men?
- Drive is more for increased muscularity than for thinness
- Increased proportion of men affected in childhood, and in BED
- Steroids use is commonly seen
- Harder to diagnosis in men as BMI rarely falls below 18.5
Why might incidences of ED be rising?
- More people feel able to present to services
- Greater exposure to risk factors
- Higher levels of stress
- Onset occurring at younger age
What etiological factors have been associated with eating disorders?
- Numerous epigenetic, social, psychological factors
- Although no one gene has been identified yet
- Recent research suggests the role of specific personality factors e.g. high levels of neuroticism
- Negative life events (e.g. childhood trauma or abuse) may be linked