Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
anorexia nervosa— a disorder marked by the pursuit of extreme thinness and by
extreme loss of weight
anorexia checklist
individual purposely takes in too little nourishment, resulting in body weight that
is very low and below that of other people of similar age and gender
individual is very fearful of gaining weight, or repeadly seeks to prevent weight
gain despite low body weight
individual has a distorted body perception, places inappropriate emphasis on
weight or shape in judgements of herself or himself, or fails to appreciate the
serious implications of his or her low wright
restricting-type anorexia nervosa— at least half the people with anorexia nervosa
reduce their weight by restricting their intake of food
binge-eating/purging-type— others lose weight by forcing themselves to vomit after
meals or by abusing laxatives or diuretics, and they may even engage in eating binges
between 75% and 90% of all cases of anorexia nervosa occur in females
the peak age of onset is between 14 and 20 years
between 0.6% and 4% of all females in western countries develop the
disorder in their lifetime
typically the disorder begins after a person who is slight overweight or of normal
weight has been on a diet
, as many as 6 percent of people with anorexia become so seriously ill that they die:
usually from medical problems brought about by starvation, or from suicide
the suicide rate among people with anorexia nervosa is FIVE times the rate
found in the general population
the clinical picture
becoming thin is the key goal for people with anorexia nervosa, but fear provides
their motivation
people with anorexia are preoccupied with food
they think in distorted ways
the distorted thinking of anorexia nervosa also takes the form of certain
maldaptive attitudes and misperceptions
people may have certain psychologial problems, such as depression, anxiety, low
self-esteem, and insomnia or other sleep disturbances
a number grapple with substance abuse
many display obsessive-compulsive patterns
medical problems
amenorrhea— the absense of menstrual cycles
other problems include lowered body temperature, low blood pressure, body
swelling, reduced bone mineral density, and slow heart rate
metabolic and electrolye imbalances also may occur and can lead to death by heart
failure or circulatory collapse
bulimia nervosa
bulimia nervosa (binge-purge syndrome)— a disorder marked by frequent eating binges
that are followed by forced vomiting or other extreme compensory behaviors to avoid
gaining weight
Anorexia Nervosa
anorexia nervosa— a disorder marked by the pursuit of extreme thinness and by
extreme loss of weight
anorexia checklist
individual purposely takes in too little nourishment, resulting in body weight that
is very low and below that of other people of similar age and gender
individual is very fearful of gaining weight, or repeadly seeks to prevent weight
gain despite low body weight
individual has a distorted body perception, places inappropriate emphasis on
weight or shape in judgements of herself or himself, or fails to appreciate the
serious implications of his or her low wright
restricting-type anorexia nervosa— at least half the people with anorexia nervosa
reduce their weight by restricting their intake of food
binge-eating/purging-type— others lose weight by forcing themselves to vomit after
meals or by abusing laxatives or diuretics, and they may even engage in eating binges
between 75% and 90% of all cases of anorexia nervosa occur in females
the peak age of onset is between 14 and 20 years
between 0.6% and 4% of all females in western countries develop the
disorder in their lifetime
typically the disorder begins after a person who is slight overweight or of normal
weight has been on a diet
, as many as 6 percent of people with anorexia become so seriously ill that they die:
usually from medical problems brought about by starvation, or from suicide
the suicide rate among people with anorexia nervosa is FIVE times the rate
found in the general population
the clinical picture
becoming thin is the key goal for people with anorexia nervosa, but fear provides
their motivation
people with anorexia are preoccupied with food
they think in distorted ways
the distorted thinking of anorexia nervosa also takes the form of certain
maldaptive attitudes and misperceptions
people may have certain psychologial problems, such as depression, anxiety, low
self-esteem, and insomnia or other sleep disturbances
a number grapple with substance abuse
many display obsessive-compulsive patterns
medical problems
amenorrhea— the absense of menstrual cycles
other problems include lowered body temperature, low blood pressure, body
swelling, reduced bone mineral density, and slow heart rate
metabolic and electrolye imbalances also may occur and can lead to death by heart
failure or circulatory collapse
bulimia nervosa
bulimia nervosa (binge-purge syndrome)— a disorder marked by frequent eating binges
that are followed by forced vomiting or other extreme compensory behaviors to avoid
gaining weight
