Eating Disorders

What additional diagnostic categories were added in the DSM-V for eating disorders and why?

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) were added to expand the scope of ED diagnosis for individuals not meeting criteria for AN or BN.

What are the central tenets of Fairburn’s transdiagnostic theory of eating disorders?

The centrality of overvaluation of eating, shape, and weight across eating pathologies; variations in symptoms reflect this overvaluation.

What distinguishes individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) from those with bulimia nervosa (BN)?

Restriction of intake leading to significantly low weight.

What is the hallmark restrictive behavior seen in anorexia nervosa (AN)?

Intentional dieting resulting in low body weight, such as calculating calories and limiting food choices.

What cognitive distortion contributes to treatment avoidance in patients with AN?

Persistent overfocus on body image that leads to severe distortions and denial of malnutrition.

What are some physical consequences of malnutrition?

Effects include low heart rate, blood pressure, osteoporosis, dry skin, hair loss, and stopped growth in younger patients.

What is the critical symptom of bulimia nervosa (BN)?

The presence of recurrent binge eating episodes.

What differentiates an objective binge episode from a subjective binge episode?

An objective binge involves eating significantly more than most people in the same situation, while a subjective binge involves feeling a loss of control over eating normal amounts.

When are binges most likely to occur and what triggers them?

Binges are most likely at night when alone, triggered by emotional distress, hunger, and tempting food.

What are physical consequences of continued binging and purging?

Complications include electrolyte abnormalities, esophageal issues, GI symptoms, and dental erosion.

How does binge eating disorder (BED) differ from bulimia nervosa (BN)?

Individuals with BED do not engage in compensatory behaviors like purging.

What is interoceptive awareness and its relevance to eating disorders?

The ability to identify internal sensations; poor interoceptive awareness can predict eating disorder onset.

What factors may contribute to a person's adoption of the 'thin ideal'?

Media exposure, urban living, family pressures, and childhood abuse.

What family characteristics are common among individuals with eating disorders?

Families may exhibit chaos, conflict, obesity, and pressure to be thin.

What do genetic studies suggest about eating disorders and gender differences?

Genetic influences appear at puberty, linked to ovarian hormones affecting ED development in girls.