Understanding Eating Disorders
Describe the difference between anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder (BED). Include specific details.
1. Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Definition: Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and severe restriction of food intake leading to significantly low body weight.
Key Features:
- Weight: Significantly low body weight relative to age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
- Behavior: Extreme calorie restriction, often coupled with excessive exercise, fasting, or use of diet aids.
- Psychological: Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
- Body Image: Distorted perception of body weight and shape, undue influence of body weight on self-evaluation.
- Physical Signs: Thinning hair, brittle nails, dry skin, severe constipation, cold intolerance, and in females, absence of menstruation (amenorrhea).
2. Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Definition: Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives and diuretics…
1. Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Definition: Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and severe restriction of food intake leading to significantly low body weight.
Key Features:
- Weight: Significantly low body weight relative to age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
- Behavior: Extreme calorie restriction, often coupled with excessive exercise, fasting, or use of diet aids.
- Psychological: Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
- Body Image: Distorted perception of body weight and shape, undue influence of body weight on self-evaluation.
- Physical Signs: Thinning hair, brittle nails, dry skin, severe constipation, cold intolerance, and in females, absence of menstruation (amenorrhea). Understanding Eating Disorders
2. Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Definition: Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives and diuretics…
