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Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by:
- A refusal to mainatin body weight at or above a minimally normal
weight for age and height (e.g. weight loss leading to maintenance
of body weight less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make
expected weight gain during periods of growth, leading to body
weight less than 85% of that expected).
- An intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though
underweight.
- Undue influence of body weight or shape on self- evaluation,
or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
- In females, there is an absence of menstrual cycles for at
least three consecutive months when otherwise expected to occur.
Subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa include
- Restricting Type: during the current episode of Anorexia
Nervosa, the person has not regularly engaged in binge-eating
or purging behavior; and
- Binge-Eating/Purging Type: during the current episode
of Anorexia Nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in binge
eating or purging behavior.
Bulimia Nervosa
There are recurrent episodes of binge eating episodes. Binge eating
is characterized by:
- Eating in a discrete period of time an amount of food that is
definitely larger than most people would eat in the same amount
of time.
- There is a lack of control over eating during the episode.
- There is a minimum of at least two binge episodes a week for
at least three months.
- Self-evaluation of oneself is unduly influenced by body shape
and weight.
- The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes
of Anorexia Nervosa.
In Bulimia Nervosa, the person will attempt to compensate for the
foods eaten by purging or nonpurging. The purging
type will purge via self-induced vomiting or the use of laxatives
or diuretics. The nonpurging type will go on a strict diet,
fast, or engage in vigorous exercise (but will not engage in purging).
Binge Eating
Previously referred to as “compulsive overeating,”
a person suffering from Binge Eating Disorder will consume a large
amount of food in a short period of time. The person will eat the
food very rapidly and with the feeling that he/she is out of control.
This is different from Bulimia Nervosa, as the person with Binge
Eating Disorder does not practice compensatory behaviors (e.g. vomiting,
laxative abuse, excess exercising).
Eating Disorders Non-Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
EDNOS is a catchall that refers to those individuals who may have
some of the symptoms of an Eating Disorder but does not have all
the symptoms to be diagnosed with Anorexia, Bulimia or Binge Eating
Disorder.
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