Eating disorder
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224828166
2008-07-10T16:27:45Z
Apoyon
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/* Who Is At Risk? */
{{Citation style}} {{Infobox_Disease |
Name = Eating Disorder |
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ICD10 = {{ICD10|F|50||f|50}} |
ICD9 = {{ICD9|307.5 }} |
ICDO = |
OMIM = |
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eMedicineTopic = |
MeshID = D001068 |
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An '''eating disorder''' is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of ''Surviving an Eating Disorder,'' "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has ''not'' been eaten or by a number on a scale."<ref>Siegel, Michaele, Brisman, Judith and Weinshel, Margot. ''Surviving an Eating Disorder.'' New York: Harper and Row Publishers. 1988.</ref> [[Anorexia nervosa]] and [[bulimia nervosa]] are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/?gf50.htm+f50|title = ICD-10: Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors|publisher = [[World Health Organization]]|date = 2006-04-05|accessdate = 2007-03-08}}</ref> with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two.<ref>{{citation|title = Instability of eating disorder diagnoses: prospective study|last1 = Milos|first1 = G|last2 = Spindler|first2 = A|last3 = Schnyder|first3 = U|last4 = Fairburn|first4 = C G|journal = The British Journal of Psychiatry|volume = 187|number = 6|pages = 573–578|year = 2005|doi = 10.1192/bjp.187.6.573|pmid = 16319411}}</ref> Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes.<ref>{{citation|publisher = American Psychiatric Association|title = Practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with eating disorders|journal = American Journal of Psychiatry|date = January 2000|volume = 157|issue = 1|pages = 1–39}}.</ref> There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.<ref>http://www.healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-EatingDisorders.pdf Let's Talk Facts About ''Eating Disorders''</ref>
==Who is at risk?==
Many people believe that eating disorders occur only among young white females, but this is not the case. While eating disorders do mainly affect women between the ages of 12 and 35, other groups are also at risk of developing eating disorders. Eating disorders affect all ethnic and racial groups and while the specific nature of the problem and the risk factors may vary, no population is exempt.<ref>http://womenshealth.gov/bodyimage/kids/bodywise/bp/AtRisk.pdf At Risk: All Ethnic and Cultural Groups </ref> Younger and younger children seem to be at risk of developing eating disorders. While most children who develop eating disorders are between 11 and 13, studies have shown that 80% of 3rd through 6th graders are dissatisfied with their bodies or their weight and by age 9 somewhere between 30 and 40% of girls have already been on a diet. Between ages 10 and 16, the statistic jumps to 80%. Many eating disorder experts attribute this behavior to the effects of cultural expectations. Stress is also considered to be a factor in the development of eating disorders. According to Abigail Natenshon, a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders, children as young as 5 show signs of stress related eating disorders. This includes compulsively exercising and running to burn off calories. Natanshon notes that as children reach puberty younger and younger, they are less equipped to understand the changes in their bodies. They understand the message of the media to be "thin" and try to fit in without comprehending the effects on their bodies.<ref>http://www.empoweredparents.com/mini/t6.htm ''Fat Fears Create Stress in Young Children; Stress Levels Rise in Tweenies'' </ref>
While eating disorders affect younger and younger children, not only girls but also boys suffer from eating disorders. Boys who participate in sports where weight is an issue and often boys who experience issues regarding sexual identity are at risk of developing eating disorders.<ref>Jablow, Martha > ''A Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders and Obesity'' New York: Dell Publishing, 1992.</ref>
==Anorexia nervosa==
{{seemain|anorexia nervosa}}
'''[[Anorexia nervosa]]''' is deliberate and sustained [[weight loss]] driven by a fear of becoming overweight and a distorted [[body image]]. It is not to be confused with '''[[anorexia]]''', which is its symptomatic general loss of appetite or disinterest in food. [[DSM-IV]] characterizes anorexia nervosa as:
* An abnormally low body weight (the suggested guideline ≤ 85% of normal for age and height, or BMI ≤ 17.5).
* For [[menarche|postmenarcheal]] females, [[amenorrhea]] (the absence of three consecutive menstrual cycles).
* An intense fear gaining weight or becoming fat and a preoccupation with body weight and shape.<ref name="dsm">{{cite book|title = [[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]] DSM-IV-TR|year = 1994|edition = 4th|publisher = [[American Psychiatric Association]]|isbn = 0890420629}}</ref>
Most anorexics become so as adolescents, with 76% reporting onset of the disorder between the ages of 11 and 20.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate = 2008-03-15|publisher = National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders|url = http://www.anad.org/22385/index.html |title=Facts About Eating Disorders}}</ref><!-- Need citation for original study. --> The mortality rate for those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is approximately 6%—the highest of any mental illness—with roughly half of those due to suicide.<ref>{{citation|first1 = David B|last1 = Herzog|first2 = Dara N|last2 = Greenwood|first3 = David J|last3 = Dorer|first4 = Andrea T|last4 = Flores|first5 = Elizabeth R|last5 = Ekeblad|first6 = Ana|last6 = Richards|first7 = Mark A|last7 = Blais|first8 = Martin B|last8 = Keller|title = Mortality in eating disorders: A descriptive study|journal = International Journal of Eating Disorders|volume = 28|number = 1|pages = 20–26|year = 2000|doi = 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(200007)28:1<20::AID-EAT3>3.0.CO;2-X}}</ref>There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated - Binge Eating Disorder. People who suffer from this disorder experience chronic episodes where they consume huge amounts of food in a very brief period. They experience feelings of being out of control. Unlike bulimia nervosa, they do not purge. Binge eating can lead to serious health risks such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and an increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease.<ref>http://www.healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-EatingDisorders.pdf Let's Talk Facts About Eating Disorders </ref>
Anorexics are commonly perfectionists, driven to succeed; yet they set unattainable standards of performance for themselves. When they fail to meet these standards, they look for a part of their lives they can control; food and weight become that “control” for them. Low self-esteem and constant self-criticism cause anorexics to constantly fear losing control, and even consuming a small amount of food could be considered a loss of control.
==Bulimia nervosa==
{{seemain|bulimia nervosa}}
'''Bulimia nervosa''' is a cyclical and recurring pattern of binge eating (uncontrolled bursts of [[overeating]]) followed by guilt, self-recrimination and overcompensatory behaviour such as [[crash diet]]ing, overexercising and [[purging]] to compensate for the excessive caloric intake.
Bulimics often have "binge food," which is the food they typically consume during binges. Some describe their binge episodes as a physical high they feel, numbing out, going into auto-pilot, losing all control, immediate comfort, etc. The reasoning or triggers behind a binge may serve different purposes for different people. This binge episode leads the individual to feel guilt, shame, embarrassment, and complete failure. Bulimics try to regain control of themselves and the situation by purging the food–making up for their mistake. This leads to feeling famished and empty again, and therefore, another uncontrollable binge, followed by feeling powerless, and the vicious binge/purge cycle continues. Bulimics have extreme eating and exercising habits, instead of demonstrating moderation. This compulsive behavior is often echoed in similar destructive behavior such as sexual promiscuity, pathological lying, and shoplifting. Some bulimics not only struggle with the eating disorder, but these other harmful behaviors as well.
==Causes==
===Environmental===
The media may be a significant influence on eating disorders through its impact on values, norms, and image standards accepted by modern society.<ref>{{citation|title = The relationship between media consumption and eating disorders|last1 = Harrison|first1 = K|last2 = Cantor|first2 = J|journal = Journal of Communication|volume = 47|number = 1|pages = 40–68|year = 1997|publisher = Oxford University Press|doi = 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1997.tb02692.x}}</ref> Both society’s exposure to media and eating disorders have grown immensely over the past decade. Researchers and clinicians are concerned about the relationship between these two phenomena and finding ways to reduce the negative influence thin-ideal media has on women’s body perception and susceptibility to eating disorders. The dieting industry makes billions of dollars each year by consumers continually buying products in an effort to be the ideal weight. Hollywood displays an unrealistic standard of beauty that makes the public feel incredibly inadequate and dissatisfied and forces people to strive for an unattainable appearance.<ref>[http://www.bignews.biz/?id=2141&keys=rockstar-anorexia-girls-support Australian Idol Starlet: Shocking Anorexic Revelations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This takes an enormous toll on one's [[self-esteem]] and can easily lead to dieting behaviors, disordered eating, body shame, and ultimately an eating disorder.
===Biological===
Patients with severe [[obsessive compulsive disorder]], [[clinical depression|depression]] or bulimia patients were all found to have abnormally low [[serotonin]] levels.<ref name="long">{{cite web|last = Long|first = Phillip W|year = 1993|title = Eating Disorders|accessdate = 2006-03-03||publisher = National Institute of Mental Health|url = http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p45-eat1.html}}</ref> [[Neurotransmitters]] such as [[serotonin]], [[dopamine]] and [[norepinephrine]] are secreted by the intestines and central nervous system during digestion.<ref name="kalat">{{cite book|last = Kalat|first = James W|year = 2006|title = Biological Psychology|edition = 8th|location = Houston|publisher = Wadsworth Publishing|isbn = 0495090794}}</ref>
Researchers have also found low [[cholecystokinin]] levels in bulimics. Cholecystokinin is a hormone that causes one to feel full and decreases eating. Low levels of this hormone are likely to cause a lack of satiative feedback when eating, which can lead to overeating. Another explanation researchers found for overeating is abnormalities in the [[neuromodulator peptides]], [[neuropeptide Y]] and [[peptide YY]]. Both of these peptides increase eating and work with another peptide called [[leptin]]. Leptin is released by fat cells and is known to decrease eating. Research found the majority of people who overate produced normal amounts of leptin but they might have complications with the [[blood-brain barrier]] preventing an optimal amount to reach the brain.<ref name="kalat"/>
[[Cortisol]] is a hormone released by the [[adrenal cortex]] which promotes [[blood sugar]] and increases metabolism.<ref name="kalat"/> High levels of cortisol were found in people with eating disorders. This imbalance may be caused by a problem in or around the hypothalamus.<ref>Long, Phillip W. (1993). Eating Disorders. Retrieved March 3, 2006, from the National Institute of Mental Health website: http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p45-eat1.html</ref> A study in London at Maudsley Hospital found that anorexics were found to have a large variation of serotonin receptors and a high level of serotonin.<ref>Yager, Joel & Anderson, Arnold E. (2005). Anorexia Nervosa. The New England Journal of Medicine, 353 (14), 1481-1488, Retrieved March 3, 2006, from Ovid web: http://mutex.gmu.edu:2076/gw1/ovidweb.cgi </ref>
Many of these chemicals and hormones are associated with the [[hypothalamus]] in the brain.<ref> Uher, R., & Treasure, J. (2005). Brain Lesions and Eating Disorders. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry, 76 (6). June 2005, pp 852-857.</ref> Damage to the hypothalamus can result in abnormalities in temperature regulation, eating, drinking, sexual behavior, fighting, and activity level.<ref name="kalat"> Uher & Treasure (2005) performed a study researching brain lesions effects on eating disorders. They evaluated 54 formally published cases of eating disorders and brain damage. They found many correlations between eating disorders and damage to the hypothalamus. People with brain lesions in the hypothalamus had abnormal eating behaviors; unprovoked and self induced vomiting, over concern with becoming fat, cheating with eating, frequent sleepiness, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior and diabetes insipidus.<ref>{{citation|last1 = Uher|first1 = R|last2 = Treasure|first2 = J|year = 2005|title = Brain Lesions and Eating Disorders|journal = Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry|volume = 76|issue = 6|date = June 2005|pages = 852–857|doi = 10.1136/jnnp.2004.048819|pmid = 15897510}}</ref>
While scientists have determined that there are possible biochemical or biological causes leading to eating disorders because certain chemicals which control hunger, appetite or digestions are out of balance, experts such as Dr. Edward J. Cumella, executive director of the Remuda Treatment Programs, states that there are three components to eating disorders: 1. The genetic component; 2. The unique environmental factors, such as personal experiences; and 3) The shared environmental factors, such as culture. According to Dr. Cumella, "Some people are born with a predisposition to having an eating disorder and there are genetic markers that can push a person in the direction of anorexia or bulimia...but it does not guarantee that a person will automatically suffer from an eating disorder. The environment - a person's life experience - still has to pull the trigger."<ref>http://my.webmd.com/content/article/48/39237.html Overcoming Eating Disorders </ref>
=== Developmental etiology ===
Research from a [[Family therapy|family systems perspective]] indicates that eating disorders stem from both the adolescent's difficulty in separating from over-controlling parents, and disturbed patterns of communication. When parents are critical and unaffectionate, their children are more prone to becoming self-destructive and self-critical, and have difficulty developing the skills to engage in self-care giving behaviors. Such developmental failures in early relationships with others, particularly maternal empathy, impairs the development of an internal sense of self and leads to an over-dependence on the environment. When coping strategies have not been developed in the family system, food and drugs serve as a substitute.<ref>{{citation|last = Weiner|first = Sydell|title = The Addiction of Overeating: Self-Help Groups as Treatment Models|year = 1998|volume = 54|issue = 2|pages = 163–167|journal = Journal of Clinical Psychology|issn=0021-9762|doi = 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199802)54:2<163::AID-JCLP5>3.0.CO;2-T}}</ref>
=== Trauma ===
Eating disorders should also be understood in the context of experienced trauma, with many eating problems beginning as survival strategies rather than vanity or obsession with appearance. According to sociologist Becky Thompson, eating disorders stemming from women of varying socio-economic status, sexual orientation and race, and finds that eating disorders and a disconnected relationship with ones body is commonly a response to environmental stresses, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, racism, and poverty. This reality is further detrimental for women of color and other minority women, since they are forced to live in a culture that embraces a narrowly defined conception of beauty: "people furthest from the dominant ideal of beauty, specifically women of color, may suffer the psychological effects of low self-esteem, poor body image, and eating disorders."<ref>{{citation|title = Asian Eyes: Body Image and Eating Disorders of Asian and Asian-American Women|last = Hall|first = C. I.|journal = Eating Disorders|volume = 3|number = 1|pages = 8–19|year = 1995|publisher = Taylor & Francis|doi = 10.1080/10640269508249141}}</ref>
==Gender Differences==
"Frequent dieting and trying to look like persons in the media were independent predictors of binge eating in females of all ages. In males, negative comments about weight by fathers was predictive of starting to binge at least weekly."<ref>[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_65366.html "Risk Factors for Eating Disorders Vary by Gender: Rejecting media images, resilience to negative comments should be focus of prevention,"] Kevin McKeever, ''HealthDay,'' June 3, 2008.</ref>
== Diagnosis ==
Clinically, eating disorders are evaluated using instruments such as the Questionnaire of Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP), which has specialized versions for adolescents and parents (QEWP-A, and QEWP-P). In addition to evaluating eating patterns, these tests also measure [[Clinical depression|depression]].<ref name="JOHNSON1998">{{cite journal |last=Johnson |first=William G. |coauthors=Grieve, Frederick G.; Adams, Christina D.; Sandy, Jamie |title=Measuring Binge Eating in Adolescents: Adolescent and Parent Versions of the Questionnaire of Eating and Weight Patterns |month=January |year=1998 |journal=International Journal of Eating Disorders |issn=0276-3478 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199911)26:3<301::AID-EAT8>3.0.CO;2-M |pmid=10441246 |volume=26 |pages=301}}</ref>
==References==
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<references/>
* {{citation|editor-first = Abigail|editor-last = Natenshon|title = When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-By-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers|publisher = Jossey Bass|year = 1999|isbn = 0-7879-4578-1}}
* {{citation|editor-last = Thompson|editor-first = K. J.|title = Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Obesity: An Integrative Guide for Assessment and Treatment|publisher = APA Books|year = 2003|isbn = 1-55798-726-2}}
* {{citation|last = Agras|first = W. Steward|title = The consequences and costs of the eating disorders|journal = The psychiatric clinics of North America|volume = 24|issue = 2|year = 2004|pages = 371|doi = 10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70232-X}}
* {{citation|last1 = Crow|first1 = S.|last2 = Praus|first2 = B|last3 = Thuras|first3 = P|title = Mortality from Eating Disorders—A 5- to 10-Year Record Linkage Study|journal = International journal of eating disorders|volume = 26|year = 1999|pages = 97|doi = 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199907)26:1<97::AID-EAT13>3.0.CO;2-D}}
* {{citation|last1 = Crow|first1 = S|last2 = Nyman|first2 = J.|title = The Cost-Effectiveness of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment|journal = International journal of eating disorders|volume = 35|issue = 2|year = 2004|pages = 155|doi = 10.1002/eat.10258}}
* {{citation|last1 = Lauer|first1 = C. J.|last2 = Krieg|first2 = J. C.|title = Sleep in eating disorders|journal = Sleep Medicine Review|volume = 8|issue = 2|year = 2004|pages = 109|doi = 10.1016/S1087-0792(02)00122-3}}
* {{citation|last1 = Meads|first1 = C.|last2 = Gold|first2 = L.|last3 = Burls|first3 = A.|title = How effective is outpatient care compared to inpatient care for the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa? A systemic review|journal = European eating disorders review|volume = 9|issue = 4|year = 2001|pages = 229|doi = 10.1002/erv.406}}
* {{citation|last1 = = Zeeck|first1 = A.|last2 = Herzog|first2 = T.|last3 = Hartman|first3 = A.|title = Day clinic or inpatient care for severe Bulimia Nervosa|journal = European eating disorders review|volume = 12|issue = 2|year = 2004|pages = 79|doi = 10.1002/erv.535}}
* {{citation|last1 = Zipfel|first1 = S|title = Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: Lessons from a 21-year follow-up study|journal = Lancet (North American Edition)|volume = 355|issue = 9205|year = 2000|pages = 721}}
{{refend}}
{{Mental and behavioural disorders}}
[[Category:Eating disorders|*]]
[[Category:Abnormal psychology]]
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[[de:Essstörung]]
[[es:Trastorno alimentario]]
[[fr:Troubles des conduites alimentaires]]
[[ko:식사장애]]
[[it:Disturbi del comportamento alimentare]]
[[he:הפרעת אכילה]]
[[nl:Eetstoornis]]
[[ja:摂食障害]]
[[no:Spiseforstyrrelse]]
[[pl:Zaburzenia odżywiania]]
[[fi:Syömishäiriö]]
[[sv:Ätstörningar]]
[[zh:进食障碍]]