Discover the World of Eating Disorders

Understanding Eating Disorders: Symptoms, Types, Risk Factors, and Nursing Care

• Restricting is the reduction or elimination of food items or food groups from one's diet, while binge eating is consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time.
• Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and restricted calories resulting in a significantly low BMI (less than 17) and the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
• Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binging and purging, with individuals usually having a normal or overweight BMI.
• Binge-eating disorder is an eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of overeating without a compensatory response (purging) that leads to obesity.
• Comorbid mental health disorders with eating disorders include bipolar, depressive, and other anxiety disorders, with OCD being common with restrictive type anorexia, and substance abuse often seen with binge-purge type.
• Risk factors for eating disorders include family history, perfectionist personality, trauma history, cultural influences, and societal expectations on the ideal body.
• Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include low weight (BMI <17), amenorrhea, yellow skin (hypercarotenemia), lanugo, cold extremities, and peripheral edema.
• Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include tooth erosion, parotid swelling, gastric dilation and rupture, and Russell's sign (calluses, scars on hand).
• Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include being overweight or obese, body dissatisfaction, embarrassed, eating as a coping skill, feelings of inadequacy, and social isolation.
• Nursing care plans for patients with eating disorders include nursing diagnoses such as imbalanced nutrition, decreased cardiac output, risk for injury due to electrolyte imbalance, imbalanced fluid volume, disturbed body image, and ineffective coping, chronic low self-esteem, and powerlessness.
• Interventions for eating disorders include inpatient treatment in ICU for acute cases of anorexia nervosa, inpatient eating disorder programs for all types of eating disorders, SSRI's (only after weight has been restored), self-care activities, multidisciplinary approaches, structured milieus, judgment-free environments, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medication management.
• Additional interventions for bulimia nervosa include monitoring bathroom usage 2 hours after meals, a non-judgmental approach, monitoring potassium therapy, and working on underlying issues to increase patients' coping skills and self-esteem. Additional interventions for binge-eating disorder include medication management, anorectic stimulants, bariatric surgery, effective coping skills, positive affirmations, guided imagery, and meditation.

Understanding Eating Disorders: Symptoms, Types, Risk Factors, and Nursing Care

• Restricting is the reduction or elimination of food items or food groups from one's diet, while binge eating is consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time.
• Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and restricted calories resulting in a significantly low BMI (less than 17) and the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
• Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binging and purging, with individuals usually having a normal or overweight BMI.
• Binge-eating disorder is an eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of overeating without a compensatory response (purging) that leads to obesity.
• Comorbid mental health disorders with eating disorders include bipolar, depressive, and other anxiety disorders, with OCD being common with restrictive type anorexia, and substance abuse often seen with binge-purge type.
• Risk factors for eating disorders include family history, perfectionist personality, trauma history, cultural influences, and societal expectations on the ideal body.
• Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include low weight (BMI <17), amenorrhea, yellow skin (hypercarotenemia), lanugo, cold extremities, and peripheral edema.
• Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include tooth erosion, parotid swelling, gastric dilation and rupture, and Russell's sign (calluses, scars on hand).
• Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include being overweight or obese, body dissatisfaction, embarrassed, eating as a coping skill, feelings of inadequacy, and social isolation.
• Nursing care plans for patients with eating disorders include nursing diagnoses such as imbalanced nutrition, decreased cardiac output, risk for injury due to electrolyte imbalance, imbalanced fluid volume, disturbed body image, and ineffective coping, chronic low self-esteem, and powerlessness.
• Interventions for eating disorders include inpatient treatment in ICU for acute cases of anorexia nervosa, inpatient eating disorder programs for all types of eating disorders, SSRI's (only after weight has been restored), self-care activities, multidisciplinary approaches, structured milieus, judgment-free environments, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medication management.
• Additional interventions for bulimia nervosa include monitoring bathroom usage 2 hours after meals, a non-judgmental approach, monitoring potassium therapy, and working on underlying issues to increase patients' coping skills and self-esteem. Additional interventions for binge-eating disorder include medication management, anorectic stimulants, bariatric surgery, effective coping skills, positive affirmations, guided imagery, and meditation.