Recognizing an Eating Disorder
Diagnostic
criteria for anorexia nervosa
- Refusal to maintain body weight over minimal normal weight
for age and height, for example, weight loss leading to
maintenance of body weight 15 percent below that expected, or
failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth,
leading to a body weight 15 percent below that expected.
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though
underweight.
- Dissatisfaction with one’s body weight, size or shape; for
example, the person claims to “feel fat” even when emaciated or
believes that one area of the body is “too fat” even when
tremendously under-weight.
- In females, absence of at least three consecutive menstrual
cycles when otherwise expected to occur (primary or secondary
amenorrhea). A woman is considered to have amenorrhea if her
periods occur only following hormone administration.
Diagnostic
criteria for bulimia nervosa
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating (rapid consumption of
large amount of food in a limited period of time).
- Feeling out of control over eating behavior during the
eating binges.
- Regular self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or
diuretics, strict dieting or fasting, vigorous exercise in order
to prevent weight gain.
- An average of two binge episodes a week for at least three
months.
- Persistent obsession with body shape and weight.
Symptoms of eating disorders
- Preoccupation with food, weight, calories and body image
- Constantly thinking about “feeling fat”
- Bingeing
- Purging
- Skipping meals, eating alone and making unusual food choices
- Laxative and/or diuretic abuse
- Compulsive exercising
- Withdrawal from family or friends
- Self-esteem determined by weight
- Frequent weigh-ins
- Constant eating beyond normal appetite
- Denial and defensive behavior about changes in weight, appearance or eating habits
- Rapid weight loss
- Eliminating meat from the diet
- Changes in menstrual cycle
- Low body temperature
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte imbalances
(Source: http://www.troubledwithin.com)
Eating Disorder Information
Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight.
Bulimia Nervosa
It is a psychological condition in which the subject engages in
recurrent binge eating followed by intentional purging.
This category is frequently used for people who meet some, but not all, of the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa