Feeding and Eating Disorders Overview

Feeding and Eating Disorders Overview

• Feeding and eating disorders encompass various conditions, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, pica, rumination disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
• DSM-5-TR criteria define specific characteristics for each disorder.

Anorexia Nervosa

• Core Features: Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements, leading to significantly low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, distorted body image.
• Severity: Classified by BMI (mild, moderate, severe, extreme).
• Types: Restricting type (strictly limiting food), binge-eating/purging type (binge eating followed by purging).
• Epidemiology: Affects approximately 1% of the population, primarily females, typically begins in adolescence (14-18 years). Death rate of 5-9%.
  • Genetic predisposition, gender, racial differences may play roles.

Bulimia Nervosa

• Core Features: Recurrent episodes of binge eating (eating significantly more than usual, feeling out of control), followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors (purging, laxative use, fasting, excessive exercise) to prevent weight gain.
• Frequency: Episodes occur at least once a week for three months.
• Self-Evaluation: Body shape and weight unduly influence self-regard.
• Epidemiology: Lifetime prevalence of 1-1.5% in adults, 0.1-2% in adolescents. Primarily affects females, typically beginning between 15 and 29.

Similarities and Differences Between Anorexia and Bulimia

• Similarities:*

• Often begin after a period of dieting.

• Fear of weight gain.

• Drive to be thin.

• Preoccupation with food, weight, and appearance.

• Anxiety, depression, obsessiveness, perfectionism are common.

• Increased risk of suicide attempts, and substance abuse.

• Distorted body perception.

• Disturbed attitudes towards eating.

• Differences:*

• Bulimia is often associated with a focus on pleasing others and having interpersonal relationships, whereas anorexia is often focused on the individual.

• Bulimia is more likely to involve sexual experience than anorexia.

• Bulimia often displays traits of personality disorders(particularly borderline personality disorder).

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders

• Partial syndrome eating disorders: Do not meet the full criteria for anorexia or bulimia.
• Atypical anorexia nervosa: All anorexia criteria are met, but weight is within normal range.
• Bulimia nervosa of low frequency/limited duration: Meets bulimia criteria, but episodes are less frequent or shorter-lived.
• Night eating syndrome: Excessive eating at night.

Binge-Eating Disorder

• Core Features: Recurrent episodes of binge eating, similar to bulimia, but without compensatory behaviors.
• Additional Characteristics: Eating rapidly, eating until uncomfortably full, eating when not physically hungry, eating alone due to embarrassment, feeling disgusted or guilty afterward.
• Frequency: Episodes occur at least once a week for three months.
• Typically higher weight range than anorexia or bulimia, affects both genders, but slightly more common in females; frequently linked with depression and anxiety.

Understanding Eating Disorders

• Biological Factors: Genetic predisposition, hormonal changes (puberty), neurochemical imbalances (e.g., serotonin).

• Psychodynamic View: (Hilde Bruch) Disturbed mother-child interactions contribute to ego deficiencies and distorted perceptions; effective/ineffective parenting styles are considered relevant.

• Sociocultural Factors: Social media pressure, thin ideal promotion, body dissatisfaction, social stressors, and competitive athletic environments.

• Cognitive Factors: Obsessive thoughts, perfectionism, impaired cognitive style, all-or-nothing thinking, and low interoceptive awareness.

• Psychosocial Factors: Emotion regulation difficulties, maladaptive coping mechanisms.

• Family Dynamics: Family conflicts, difficulties with separation, high family expressiveness.

• Environmental factors: Childhood abuse, life stressors, teasing.

• Multicultural factors: Eating disorders are not limited by ethnicity/race. A variety of factors might contribute to eating disorders. Western society's standards of attractiveness may influence. The methods utilized for weight loss may also determine sex difference.

Treatments for Eating Disorders

• Anorexia: Refeeding, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and family therapy.

• Bulimia and Binge-Eating Disorder: Cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, supportive-expressive psychodynamic therapy, behavioral therapy, and in some cases, pharmacological interventions (antidepressants, possibly antipsychotics).

• Drugs/biological: Antidepressants and some antipsychotics or obesity/diabetes medications can be important adjuncts, but do not address root causes and may not restore normal eating habits.

This quiz covers the essential aspects of feeding and eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Learn about their core features, classifications, severity levels, and epidemiology. Test your knowledge on these critical mental health conditions that predominantly affect adolescents.