Eating DisordersStudy Guide 

            o     Anorexia nervosa and bulimia

                                                      §   Research indicates that serious weight control efforts(e.g., dieting, use of laxatives, deliberate vomiting) actually lead to weightgain rather than weight loss.

• Girls whose mothers have body image problems, and girls who report more negative relationships with parents, are more likely to use problematic weight loss techniques.
 
• Bulimia is a disorder characterized by overeating followed by self-induced vomiting (or the use of laxatives or excessive exercise) in order to avoid weight gain.
• Anorexia nervosa is a disorder characterized by continued self-induced food deprivation.
• Adolescents with either eating disorder have a disturbed body image.
• Perhaps as many as 20% of anorexic adolescents starve themselves to death.
• Approximately 0.5% of teens are anorexic, and 3% are bulimic.
• Dissatisfaction with body image is pervasive among teenage girls, however.
• Recent research shows that this problem is pervasive among females from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Some theories of eating disorders point to genetic or hormonal differences, while others point to dysfunctional family dynamics (e.g., overcontrolling parents).
• A third possible explanation is that eating disorders are but one aspect of a generalized psychological difficulty called internalized distress.
• Finally, some scientists point to the socio-cultural pressure that is placed on females to be thin, a stressor that males do not experience as harshly.
• While a variety of therapeutic techniques have been used to treat bulimia and anorexia, hospitalization is often required for successful treatment of anorexia.