Chapter 15: Eating Disorders
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Contrast healthy attitudes toward uses of food with behavior patterns that could lead to
unhealthy uses of food.
2. Describe current hypotheses about the origins of eating disorders.
3. List physical and mental characteristics of anorexia nervosa and outline current best
practices for its treatment.
4. List physical and mental characteristics of bulimia nervosa and outline current best
practices for its treatment.
5. List physical and mental characteristics of binge eating disorder and outline best
practices for its treatment.
6. Describe pica and other specified feeding and eating disorders.
7. Discuss other patterns of disordered eating that are seen in clinical practice but are not
formally diagnosed as eating disorders.
8. Describe strategies to reduce the development of eating disorders.
Section 15.1 Concepts: From Ordered to Disordered Eating Habits
1. Differentiate between disordered eating and an eating disorder.
2. Describe how genetics and environment interact in the development of eating disorders.
3. Why are eating disorders more common among adolescents than other age groups?
From Ordered to Disordered Eating Habits
“Ideal” body:
● Media emphasizes
● Dieting promoted to achieve it
● May lead to disorder
Need for social acceptance:
● Images of “acceptable” and “unacceptable” body types develop
Maintaining ultraslim body type is a common goal in today’s culture
Food: More Than Just a Source of Nutrients
● Food is linked to personal and emotional experiences.
● Eating stimulates release of neurotransmitters and natural opioids, including endorphins.
● Food used as a reward or bribe can lead to disordered eating.
● Disordered eating-Short-term, mild changes in eating patterns that occur in response to
a stressful event, and illness, or even a desire to modify food intake for a variety of
health and personal appearance reasons.
Interventions for Disordered Eating
Disordered eating may require professional intervention if it:
● Becomes sustained and distressing
● Starts to interfere with everyday activities
● Is linked to physiological changes
Timely treatment is costly but if left untreated, eating disorders can be fatal.
, Origins of Eating Disorders
Many eating disorders start with a simple diet.
Main types of eating disorders are:
● Anorexia nervosa
● Bulimia nervosa
● Binge-eating disorder
Genetics:
● Accounts for 50% to 83% of risk for developing an eating disorder
● Identical twins more likely than fraternal twins to share eating disorders
● Environmental factors also play a role
The Changing Face of Eating Disorders
Lifetime prevalence of various eating disorders-females outnumber males:
● 12 to 1 for anorexia nervosa
● 6 to 1 for bulimia nervosa
● 3 to 1 for binge eating disorder
Typically develop during adolescence or young adulthood.
● Eating disorders diagnosed using specific criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual or Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
SCOFF Questions
● Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
● Do you worry that you have lost control over how much you eat?
● Have you recently lost more than one stone (14 lb) in a 3-month period?
● Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
● Would you say that food dominates your life?
Section 15.2 Concepts: Anorexia Nervosa
1. Identify the three diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa.
2. List five physical effects of anorexia nervosa.
3. Describe elements of nutrition, psychological, and pharmacological therapy for anorexia
nervosa.
Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa
A. Extreme dietary restriction that leads to significantly low body weight.
B. Overwhelming distress about weight gain (or avoidance of behaviors that may lead to
weight gain) despite having a low body weight.
C. Disturbed perception of one’s own body weight or shape, overemphasis on body weight
or shape in determining self-worth, or failure to recognize the dangers of extremely low
body weight.
Common Behaviors of Anorexia Nervosa
Extreme dieting is the most important predictor of an eating disorder:
● Eating very little food
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Contrast healthy attitudes toward uses of food with behavior patterns that could lead to
unhealthy uses of food.
2. Describe current hypotheses about the origins of eating disorders.
3. List physical and mental characteristics of anorexia nervosa and outline current best
practices for its treatment.
4. List physical and mental characteristics of bulimia nervosa and outline current best
practices for its treatment.
5. List physical and mental characteristics of binge eating disorder and outline best
practices for its treatment.
6. Describe pica and other specified feeding and eating disorders.
7. Discuss other patterns of disordered eating that are seen in clinical practice but are not
formally diagnosed as eating disorders.
8. Describe strategies to reduce the development of eating disorders.
Section 15.1 Concepts: From Ordered to Disordered Eating Habits
1. Differentiate between disordered eating and an eating disorder.
2. Describe how genetics and environment interact in the development of eating disorders.
3. Why are eating disorders more common among adolescents than other age groups?
From Ordered to Disordered Eating Habits
“Ideal” body:
● Media emphasizes
● Dieting promoted to achieve it
● May lead to disorder
Need for social acceptance:
● Images of “acceptable” and “unacceptable” body types develop
Maintaining ultraslim body type is a common goal in today’s culture
Food: More Than Just a Source of Nutrients
● Food is linked to personal and emotional experiences.
● Eating stimulates release of neurotransmitters and natural opioids, including endorphins.
● Food used as a reward or bribe can lead to disordered eating.
● Disordered eating-Short-term, mild changes in eating patterns that occur in response to
a stressful event, and illness, or even a desire to modify food intake for a variety of
health and personal appearance reasons.
Interventions for Disordered Eating
Disordered eating may require professional intervention if it:
● Becomes sustained and distressing
● Starts to interfere with everyday activities
● Is linked to physiological changes
Timely treatment is costly but if left untreated, eating disorders can be fatal.
, Origins of Eating Disorders
Many eating disorders start with a simple diet.
Main types of eating disorders are:
● Anorexia nervosa
● Bulimia nervosa
● Binge-eating disorder
Genetics:
● Accounts for 50% to 83% of risk for developing an eating disorder
● Identical twins more likely than fraternal twins to share eating disorders
● Environmental factors also play a role
The Changing Face of Eating Disorders
Lifetime prevalence of various eating disorders-females outnumber males:
● 12 to 1 for anorexia nervosa
● 6 to 1 for bulimia nervosa
● 3 to 1 for binge eating disorder
Typically develop during adolescence or young adulthood.
● Eating disorders diagnosed using specific criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual or Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
SCOFF Questions
● Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
● Do you worry that you have lost control over how much you eat?
● Have you recently lost more than one stone (14 lb) in a 3-month period?
● Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
● Would you say that food dominates your life?
Section 15.2 Concepts: Anorexia Nervosa
1. Identify the three diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa.
2. List five physical effects of anorexia nervosa.
3. Describe elements of nutrition, psychological, and pharmacological therapy for anorexia
nervosa.
Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa
A. Extreme dietary restriction that leads to significantly low body weight.
B. Overwhelming distress about weight gain (or avoidance of behaviors that may lead to
weight gain) despite having a low body weight.
C. Disturbed perception of one’s own body weight or shape, overemphasis on body weight
or shape in determining self-worth, or failure to recognize the dangers of extremely low
body weight.
Common Behaviors of Anorexia Nervosa
Extreme dieting is the most important predictor of an eating disorder:
● Eating very little food
