Eating Disorders

Eating disorders refer to distorted patterns of thinking and behavior surrounding body image and food consumption and can severely impact a student’s physical health, interpersonal functioning, and academic performance.  In the most severe form, an eating disorder can result in death without proper treatment and intervention. Specific types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. 

Treatment.  Stopping or reducing maladaptive behaviors such as purging and excessive exercise, restoring the individual to a healthy and appropriate body weight, and ensuring that an individual receives adequate nutrition are the primary treatment goals for those with eating disorders.  Therapy and medication are effective in treating eating disorders.  More severe cases may require hospitalization to treat mal-nutrition and any associated medical complications.  Treatment plans are often tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual and may include the following:

• Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy
• Medical care and monitoring
• Nutritional counseling
• Medications

Anorexia nervosa.  Anorexia nervosa is characterized by the following behaviors: the refusal to maintain a normal, healthy body weight at a level appropriate for an individual’s height and age; an intense fear of becoming overweight, even if well below normal weight; a distorted perception of body weight or shape; denial of being grossly underweight; and the cessation or absence of menstruation in females.  Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa rigidly control the consumption of food in order to prevent weight gain despite being critically underweight.  Food consumption and the prevention of weight gain become obsessions.  These individuals may exhibit peculiar or unusual rituals in the preparation and consumption of meals such as the rationing or precise measuring of food quantities and the consumption of unusually small portions. Other behaviors indicative of anorexia nervosa include adherence to rigorous and strict exercise regimens or the abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics.  Medical complications associated with anorexia nervosa include disturbances in cardiac function, critically low blood pressure and body temperature, osteoporosis, impaired fertility, and hair loss.

Bulimia Nervosa.  Bulimia nervosa is typically characterized by the maintenance of normal or average body weight accompanied by distortions in body image and an intense preoccupation and aversion to weight gain.  Individuals with bulimia nervosa engage in frequent episodes of binge eating, the rapid consumption of large quantities of food over an interval of time, or experience a general lack of control over the consumption of food. These symptoms accompany certain behaviors intended to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the misuse and abuse of laxatives or enemas, episodes of fasting, or excessive exercise. 

Binge-eating Disorder.  Binge-eating disorder is characterized by the following: recurrent episodes of binge eating; the rapid, compulsive consumption of food until full and experiencing physical discomfort; or the consumption of large quantities of food in the absence of hunger.  Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder is not accompanied by purging to prevent weight gain. Individuals with binge-eating disorder are generally overweight and experience extreme self-loathing and emotional distress over their weight and appearance.