Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Eating Disorders553Eating DisordersAnorexia and BulimiaKey Theme• The most important eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia,which are psychological disorders characterized by severely disturbed,maladaptive eating behaviors.Key Questions• What are the symptoms, characteristics, and causes of anorexianervosa?• What are the symptoms, characteristics, and causes of bulimianervosa?Eating disorders involve serious and maladaptive disturbances in eating behavior.These disturbances can include extreme reduction of food intake, severe bouts ofovereating, and obsessive concerns about body shape or weight (American PsychiatricAssociation, 2000a). The two main types of eating disorders are anorexianervosa and bulimia nervosa, which usually begin during adolescence or earlyadulthood (see Table 13.6). Ninety to 95 percent of the people who experiencean eating disorder are female (Thompson & others, 2007). Despite the 10-to-1gender-difference ratio, the central features of eating disorders are similar formales and females (Andersen, 2002).Anorexia NervosaLife-Threatening Weight LossFour key features define anorexia nervosa. First, the person refuses to maintaina minimally normal body weight. With a body weight that is 15 percent or morebelow normal, body mass index can drop to 12 or lower. Second, despite beingdangerously underweight, the person with anorexia is intensely afraid of gainingweight or becoming fat. Third, she has a distorted perception about the size ofher body. Although emaciated, she looks in the mirror and sees herself as fat orobese. And fourth, she denies the seriousness of her weight loss (AmericanPsychiatric Association, 2000b).Table 13.6Eating DisordersAnorexia Nervosa• Severe and extreme disturbance in eating habits and calorie intake• Body weight that is less than 85% of what would be considered normal for the person’sage, height, and gender, and refusal to maintain a normal body weight• Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat• Distorted perceptions about the severity of weight loss and a distorted self-image, suchthat even an extremely emaciated person may perceive herself as fat• In females, absence of menstrual cyclesBulimia Nervosa• Recurring episodes of binge eating, which is defined as an excessive amount of calorieswithin a two-hour period• The inability to control or stop the excessive eating behavior• Recurrent episodes of purging, which is defined as using laxatives, diuretics, self-inducedvomiting, or other methods to prevent weight gaineating disorderA category of mental disorders characterizedby severe disturbances in eating behavior.anorexia nervosaAn eating disorder characterized by excessiveweight loss, an irrational fear of gainingweight, and distorted body self-perception.