Eating Disorders: A Case Study

Eating disorders are common, relatively chronic and potentially life-threatening psychiatric disorders conditions primarily affecting young women. Eating disorders are also associated with psychological suffering, acute and long-term health impairments, a high rate of suicide attempts as well as an increased risk of mortality early detection and treatment improve the prognosis, but the presentation of eating disorders is often cryptic. This paper will compare the constructs of two assessment tools and examine the key test measurement constructs of reliability and validity for each assessment tool use in eating disorders. The Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) and the “Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q)” acre commonly used assessments

Eating Disorders are a set of serious disorders with underlying psychiatric foundations. An eating disorder occurs when exercise, body weight and shape become an unhealthy obsession (Stein, Merrick, & Latzer, 2011). People with eating disorders take physical concerns to the extremes that they take on abnormal eating habits. There are a variety of cases that lead to an eating disorder and can affect both men and women, however its prevalence primarily occur in adolescence (Ison & Kent, 2010; Stein et al., 2011). The complexity and challenges that occur during adolescents predisposes teens to developing an eating disorder. The period of adolescence is one of intense change, which can bring with it a great deal of stress, confusion and anxiety (Allen, Byrne, Oddy & Crosby, 2013). According to Wade, Keski-Rahkonen and Hudson (2011) 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). There are three main categories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Individuals with AN loose more weight than what is considered to be healthy for their particular height, age, gender, and development (Allen et al., 2013). In BN individuals binge eat and purge to compensate for the excessive eating. Purging may include induce vomiting or intake of laxatives that lead to bowel

in 1983 and it measured three subscales of eating disorder symptoms: body dissatisfaction, bulimia and drive for thinness, and five other psychological features of eating disorders: perfectionism, maturity fears, ineffectiveness, interoceptive awareness and interpersonal distrust. Comprised of the three levels of eating disorder symptoms and 91 items to be measured, the EDI-3 is an improved version of the original EDI-1 and EDI-2. Compared to the EDI-2 version that measures 11 subscales, EDI-3 measures twelve EDI factors that include the three general risk factors: body dissatisfaction, bulimia and drive for thinness and nine other general psychological factors that measure covariants of eating disorders like personality traits. The EDI-3 assessment tool can be used to investigate a number of eating disorder perspectives including: weight preoccupation, emotional dysregulation, general psychopathology, among others (Gleaves, Pearson, Ambwani &Morey,

Forty-three published abstracts were retrieved from PubMed database and three were retrieved from CINAHL database, for a total of 46 articles for potential inclusion in the review. Three duplicates were then removed, yielding 43 articles for potential inclusion. Two articles were excluded because they are commentaries. Three articles were excluded because they are reviews. One article was excluded because it is a case study. 14 articles were excluded because they do not include a mindful eating intervention. Two articles were excluded because they do not focus on weight or weight-related co-morbidities. One article was excluded because it focuses on anorexia nervosa or bulimia. One article was

The Eating Attitude Test yields the overall score and has three subscales that can help determine some specifics. The overall score has a cutoff of 20, and those who score less than 20 are considered as not having an eating disorder, while those who score 20 and more will have to be evaluated by the follow-up assessment tool (Garner & Garfinkel, 1979). The subscales reveal information about bulimia, food preoccupation, dieting and oral control subscales.

Engel, B., Reiss, N., & Domback, M. (2007, February 2). Introduction To Eating Disorders. Retrieved

The study conducted had a sample size of 90 Polish women with AN and the control group was 120 females without any signs of an eating disorder. These females were studied to identify any substantial differences in behavior. The result of the study was that females with AN exhibited less control over cognitive function and emotional behavior. The conclusion reached was that being able to identify the symptoms typical of an eating disorder in females could help in improving treatments and could also prevent any dangerous habits developed by those with

This paper will talk about some of the things that people with eating disorders go through in their daily lives and give a general description of what exactly an eating disorder is and why it is important. Schwitzer Alan M., Bergholz Kim, Dore Terri, and Salimi Lamieh all talk about a few things that they did in order to prevent eating disorders among college woman as well as some of the treatment methods and preventative measure someone can take in order to prevent something like this from happening again. It will also talk about something called the “three-legged stool” which was created by Sackett et al. in 1996. The “three-legged stool” is a treatment method for eating disorders which considers research evidence, patient preference and values, and clinical expertise. There will also be some evidence included to explain why those three things are important in treating eating disorders. Carol B. Peterson, Carolyn Black Becker, Janet Treasure, Roz Shafran, and Rachel Bryant-Waugh all mention how these things will help optimize treatment of eating disorders because patients won’t be forced into doing something that they don’t enjoy in order to overcome their eating disorder. The last thing that will be talked about is a case study conducted by Joanna Steinglass, Karin Foerde, Katrina Kostro, Daphna Shohamy, and Timothy Walsh. This case study attempts to develop a new paradigm

Eating disorders are one of the most prevalent mental disorders in the United States. Although this disease is typically viewed as a female disorder, males are greatly affected and may go undiagnosed and untreated due to the attached stigma. Thus, it is important to understand the risk factors associated with the development of eating disorders in males. These risk factors include: athletic involvement, sexual orientation, pre-morbid obesity, and adverse childhood experiences. Eating disorder type and symptom presentation also varies between males and females. Males typically do not meet the criteria to be categorized as Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa, causing their condition to be classified as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Symptom presentation is likely to include binge eating and excessive exercise rather than restrictive eating, purging, or other compensatory methods commonly seen in the female population. Several eating disorder assessments are available for use in clinical practice, most of which have been geared toward the female gender. New assessments, such as the Eating Disorder Assessment for Males, have been developed recently to try to hone in on the typical male symptomatology and their psychological processes. Prompt treatment of eating disorders, regardless of gender, is necessary to prevent the development of medical and psychological comorbidities. This process cannot begin until the diagnosis has been made; therefore, additional

Mental illnesses and their symptoms are intricate experiences that have the ability to be conceived and measured both categorically and dimensionally. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) relies substantially on a categorical application, but requires review of the dimensional temperament of mental disorders. Eating Disorders (ED) have become an abode for implications for meeting criteria of diagnosis. Categorical classifications and details are habitually functional yet have significant confines that need to be acknowledged. Dimensional assessments endorse a more individualised understanding and review of symptoms and contributing factors. Both perspectives should be seen as corresponding, and may beneficially

The EDI is a personality assessment instrument and it is primarily used in a clinical setting to determine the potential presence of an eating disorder in a client (Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, p 173, 1983). The Eating Disorder Inventory can be administered to any individual that is 12 years old and over. The norming group for this particular assessment was adults and adolescents with disordered

There is one 91-item form used to test individuals in a clinical or research setting. Those with no-psychology training use a shortened version of the form. The assessment form is from a previous versions of the assessment (EDI, EDI-2) and reliability between earlier versions of the test and EDI-3 is possible and equivalent for the same items. Overall the reliability was sound; however, low-reliability coefficients on the Bulimia scale for Anorexia Nervosa Restricted (AN-R) diagnostic (.63) were found (Garner, 2004).

The rating scales that will be used for the study are the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26; Garner, Olmstead, Bohr & Garfinkel, 1982), Attention to Body Shape Scale (ABS; Beebe, 1995), and the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS; Swami, et al. 2008).

In order to prevent a type 1 error, scores for the eating disorder examination were given to readers in the form of effect sizes. The four measured variables were binge eating rates, eating disorder psychopathology, quality of life, and emotional regulation. In comparison to the wait list group, each variable showed improvement, meaning that the treatment (DBT) had a positive impact on the participants assigned to that condition. Over time, there was an effect found for each variable. Using post hoc tests, researchers noticed that binge eating frequency was lower at post-treatment than baseline, the total eating disorder examination (EDE) scores were lower at post-treatment and 6 month follow up compared to baseline, quality of life scores were higher at post-treatment and baseline, and emotional regulation scores were higher at

In addition, patients with eating disorders also exhibit other traits associated with low self-esteem, such as problems with their overall self-image, excessive concern over weight and shape, and globally negative attitudes about their self-control and discipline (Button 1997). The methodology for the research leading to these conclusions about low self-esteem and eating disorders typically involves elements such as questionnaires examining eating behavior, self-esteem and general psychological well-being (such as the Offer self-image questionnaire), depression and self-esteem scales (such as the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Hospital anxiety and depression scale), personal interviews with doctors, psychologists and researchers, and finally tests designed specifically for eating disorders (such as the Bulimia test and the EAT-40).