Summary Of Eating Disorders

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

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,

Thesis Statement: It is important to understand eating disorders and the types of eating disorders to overcome them and seek the proper treatment.

Eating disorders are a very serious psychological condition that affects your mind so that you are more focused on your food and weight than you are on everything else. The most known and most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder; however, these are not the only eating disorders. Eating disorders cause psychical and psychological problems, which at their worst can even become life threating. Statistics show that more women are affected by eating disorders, but men none the less can still be affected. “Age (most common from teens to early twenties), Family history (hereditary), emotional disorders (people with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder are at a great chance), transitions (moving, heading to college, or anything that can bring emotional distress), and sports (ballerinas, gymnasts, runners, and wrestlers are at a higher risk) also can play a role in who is being affected by an eating disorder” (Eating Disorders).

Eating Disorders (ED) are a real “epidemic” plaguing industrialized and developed societies, affecting mostly adolescents and young adults (Benas & Gibb 2011). In general, the flawed thinking of people suffering from such diseases is characterized by an obsession with perfection of the body. The impact that eating disorders have on women has always been more prevalent than on males. (Benas & Gibb 2011; Polivy & Herman 2002). The culture-bound syndromes are constellations of signs and symptoms, that are restricted to certain the cultural pressure to lose weight, which is considered a key element of the etiology of these disorders, therefore, along with biological, psychological and family factors have been generating an excessive preoccupation with the body, an abnormal fear of becoming fat and anxiety markedly accompanied by changes in the body schema. These are therefore the characteristics of Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The following ten literature review attempt to demonstrate and support the theory of cognitive approach on eating disorders, briefly understanding the neurobiological mechanisms.

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

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideals is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.” (“ANAD”) Body image has been a controversial theme because of the influence of the media. It is a widely known fact that eating disorder cases are on the rise. The concept of body image is a subjective matter. The common phrase, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” holds true meaning in this sense. One’s view and value of their body is self-imposed. Falling into the destructive eating disorders reveals much about a person’s psychological and emotional state. Examining the mental, physical, and emotional conditions behind recognized eating

I thought the chapter in the textbook about eating disorders was very interesting. This is a very real and current issue in our country today. And as I learned in the reading, it affects many countries throughout the world, not just the United States. According to the PsychWatch section on page 281, “Eating Disorders Across the World”, non-Western countries are starting to be exposed to more Western and United States television and magazine advertisements, and this is resulting in more cases of eating disorders in these countries. Both men and women are affected by anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. The statistics show that more women than men have these eating disorders. But it is hard to say if this is true, or if just more women seek help.

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

In longing to reach the norm many people fall victim to these detrimental illnesses. Sadly, women are more subject to these eating disorders than men, the number of men suffering from eating disorders is on the rise. Our culture puts pressure on each of its inhabitants to attain this ideal body type that is unrealistic for most people. The images that pollute television and magazines make us all feel inadequate if we don't meet the credentials of slenderness; therefore, continuing the role of our society in the development of eating disorders.

A combination of genetic, physical, social, and psychological factors may contribute to the development of an eating disorder, such as Anorexia. Anorexia is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. Eating disorders effect ten million females and one million males in the United States. Also 0.3 percent of the eating disorders occur in teenage children.

Psychological illnesses in which a person has abnormal eating habits such as eating too much or eating too little are called eating disorders. There are three main types of eating disorders. The types or eating disorders are bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder. There are many causes of eating disorders. Eating disorders are most commonly caused by the way genetic vulnerability, psychological factors, and socio-cultural influences (Eating Disorders Risk Factors). Eating disorders can be very harmful or even deadly.

Many of the patients deny the fact that they have an eating problem and majority of them that have been diagnosed with the disorder escape from getting help and treatment. Compared to other disorders and diseases, eating disorder is said to be due to choice and brought upon self by the public and professionals. In this article, Lowry and Puckett explained that the problem with eating disorder is that people don’t understand that it is a serious disease that can potentially lead to death triggered by starvation, heart failure, and people becoming depressed and commit suicide (2014). They also talked about how the causes of eating disorder are not definite but there are different aspects that play an important role in increasing the chances of developing eating disorder. Some of those aspects include genetics, certain personality traits, Puberty, body image, and family (Lowry & Puckett,

Brewerton, Timothy D. "Eating disorders, trauma, and comorbidity: Focus on PTSD." Eating disorders 15.4 (2007): 285-304.

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).