Chapter 10: Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa

a disorder marked by the pursuit of extreme thinness and by extreme weight loss

amenorrhea

the absence of menstrual cycles

bulimia nervosa

a disorder marked by frequent eating binges followed by forced vomiting or other extreme compensatory behaviors to avoid gaining weight. Also known as binge-purge syndrome

binge

an episode of uncontrollable eating during which a person ingests a very large quantity of food

binge-eating disorder

a disorder marked by frequent binges without extreme compensatory acts

hypothalamus

a brain structure that helps regulate various bodily functions, including eating and hunger

lateral hypothalamus (LH)

a brain region that produces hunger when activated

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)

a brain region that depresses hunger when activated

weight set point

the weight level that a person is predisposed to maintain, controlled in part by the hypothalamus

enmeshed family pattern

a family system in which members are over involved with each other’s affairs and overly concerned about each other’s welfare

motivational interviewing

a treatment that uses empathy and inquiring review to help motivate clients to recognize they have a serious psychological problem and commit to making constructive choices and behavior changes